Chapter 590 Ghost Group
"That's for sure, but the news will be released tomorrow. By then, it will be a done deal!"
Cheng Tiangang chuckled and gave this answer.
"Isn't it getting a little late?" Jiang Bai asked, frowning.
Flying Eagle and his team have already decided to take action tomorrow night. Jiang Bai is worried that it will be too rushed to announce this tomorrow. By the time the matter is announced by the Executive Committee and the Nangong family receives the news and reacts, several hours will have passed.
It's very likely that the Nangong family was wiped out before they even had a chance to ask for help, since there were just too many people targeting them this time.
"Don't worry, those guys from Nangong Shijian aren't so easy to deal with. If they were so easy to handle, they wouldn't have made it out of here back then! Do they really think we're pushovers?"
After giving Jiang Bai that sentence, Cheng Tiangang hung up the phone.
Jiang Bai was left alone there, lost in thought.
I stayed in the hotel for one night. That night, I received a call from Liu Mang, who said that Mantis was very angry and was looking for me all over the world, and told me to be careful, etc. Then he hung up the phone.
Jiang Bai expressed his gratitude and told Liu Mang to hide, only telling him not to worry and that the matter would be resolved soon.
In addition, he called Xu Jie and asked him to prepare some manpower so that he could bring people over to help Zhou Min stabilize the situation as soon as Flying Eagle fell.
Jiang Bai is prepared to swallow Flying Eagle's vast empire whole this time, and some preparations are necessary.
The next day, Jiang Bai received a call from Lie Yang. The old man and another old woman came to find Jiang Bai. They looked like an elderly couple enjoying their twilight years. When Jiang Bai saw the two of them, he almost misunderstood them.
After asking, they learned that the old lady had absolutely no relation to Lieyang. Although the old man's behavior was obviously unusual, Jiang Bai could tell that he was interested in the old lady, but she just ignored him.
Seeing his discomfiture, Jiang Bai was secretly pleased.
Arranged to stay at the hotel, Jiang Bai waited for the expert from the Ghost Group.
Unfortunately, it was already evening, and after having dinner with Lieyang and the others, they still hadn't contacted Jiang Bai. This made Jiang Bai frown and feel a little unhappy. They were going to take action that night, and the location had been confirmed: the old residence of the Nangong family, located on a mountain ridge in the north of Daobei City.
It is estimated that the other party made their move late at night, when the Nangong family was completely unprepared.
This is the only way to catch the Nangong family off guard.
Moreover, taking action late at night won't cause too much trouble. After all, these people are either fine if they don't make a move, or if they do, it's a huge, earth-shattering event that will cause a lot of trouble. They'll also be careful to make their move when it's quiet at night so as not to cause unnecessary commotion.
Calculating the time, it's only been a few hours, but the so-called expert from the Ghost Group still hasn't arrived. How can this satisfy Jiang Bai?
He almost called Yang Wudi to threaten to smash the plate and quit.
"Gentlemen, what do you know about this person from the Ghost Group? What kind of expert did they send this time?"
After finishing his meal, Jiang Bai, who was anxiously waiting, looked at the two calm and collected old men and couldn't help but ask.
"I don't know. You can ask Rou Shui. She's dealt with the Ghost Group a few times. I'm not familiar with them at all. Hehe, they don't like to associate with me!" Lie Yang chuckled and pointed to the old lady next to him.
"Hmph, your special ability is specifically designed to counter them, so of course they don't want to have much contact with you. But that's not the main point. The main point is that you have a terrible temper and are rigid. The people in the Ghost Group don't like you." The old lady Rou Shui immediately mocked Lie Yang.
Although she was nearing seventy, one could still vaguely tell that the old lady must have been quite beautiful in her youth. After saying this, she said softly to Jiang Bai, "Most of the people in the Ghost Group are strange and eccentric."
"Mainly composed of Taoist priests from the Longhu Mountain Celestial Masters School, Maoshan School, Laoshan School, Qingcheng School, etc., they have been known since ancient times for their ability to exorcise evil spirits and ward off misfortune, and to capture ghosts and exorcise demons. Therefore, they are called the Ghost Group. The Xiangxi Corpse Drivers and others are also among them."
"Under normal circumstances, they don't interact with strangers; they deal with these gods and monsters all day long."
"How strong are you?" Jiang Bai couldn't help but ask.
Having understood these words, Jiang Bai had doubts about the strength of this group.
"As for their strength, it's not bad. It's hard to say who's stronger or weaker than us. However, they mainly use Taoist methods, which in my opinion is a kind of spiritual cultivation. If ancient martial artists cultivate their bodies, these people cultivate their spirits, using their powerful spiritual energy to drive the energy of heaven and earth. In my opinion, they are similar to us superhumans."
"However, there are slight differences. They cultivate using ancient methods and have mastered some ancient spiritual techniques and strange energies, while we superhumans are born with strong spiritual power. The two are different."
"In general, they are about the same as those with superpowers, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. However, they need to rely on many so-called magical tools and equipment. Without these things, their combat power is greatly reduced, making them inferior to those with superpowers."
The old lady Rou Shui knew far more about the Ghost Group than anyone Jiang Bai had ever known before, and she explained things to Jiang Bai, giving him a completely new understanding of the Ghost Group.
"Who are they this time? Do either of you have any information?"
These two were assigned to help along with that expert from the Ghost Group. They haven't met that person yet, but Jiang Bai thinks they should know something about him. Jiang Bai hopes to have a general understanding of him before he arrives.
It also makes it easier to assign tasks when it's time to get started.
After all, this is a major undertaking, and we cannot afford to be careless in the slightest.
"Well... I don't know. I've only heard that the other party is a master from the Celestial Masters Sect, belonging to the lineage of Zhang Tianshi of Longhu Mountain. I don't know the specifics. We don't have much contact with them. This time, it was the Azure Emperor who personally contacted them."
"I don't know exactly who it is, but they must be a master."
"Don't be fooled by the Ghost Group's mysterious nature. When it comes to top-tier combat power, there are only a handful of people who can stand out. Although I can't guess who it is, I can make a rough guess. If I'm not mistaken, since it's the Celestial Masters Sect, it should be the current Celestial Master Zhang of Longhu Mountain."
The old lady Rou Shui thought for a moment, then said with a smile.
"Master Zhang is known for his punctuality, how could he not have arrived by now? I don't think it's him!" Lieyang sniffed and couldn't help but interject.
As soon as he said this, he was immediately met with a cold look from the other party. The old man Lieyang wisely shut his mouth and drank his tea, and did not say another word.
Chapter 591 The Adorable Little Celestial Master
Jiang Bai smiled without saying a word, and was about to speak when the phone rang. A timid female voice came through: "Excuse me... is this... is this Jiang Bai?"
These words startled Jiang Bai. He had an exceptional memory and could confirm with 100% certainty that he did not know the phone number or the girl who called.
"Who are you?" Jiang Bai was taken aback and couldn't help but ask.
"I...I am...I am Zhang Mengmeng."
The other party introduced themselves, and Jiang Bai looked completely bewildered.
"Zhang Mengmeng? What do you do? I don't think I know you?"
As Jiang Bai spoke, the other side immediately responded: "Oh, right, I, I'm from the Celestial Masters Sect, no, no, I'm from the Ghost Group... no, no, I'm from the Ghost Group Celestial Masters Sect, my father... no, Zhang Tianshi asked me to come and help."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Bai's forehead immediately darkened. Rou Shui and Lie Yang were also somewhat bewildered upon hearing this voice, exchanging glances and unsure of what to say.
Suddenly, Rou Shui seemed to have thought of something, her eyes lit up, and she looked somewhat strange.
Jiang Bai was in a very bad mood. Judging from her voice, he knew that the girl was probably around twenty years old, or even younger. He was here to do something important.
What happened to the Ghost Group?
They actually sent over such a little girl?
Isn't this just making things worse?
Jiang Bai's enemies this time are all formidable; they are all true masters, either top-tier experts or SSS-level superhumans.
There are seven on Feiying's side, two from the Nangong family, plus him, Lieyang, and Roushui, making it a dozen or so top experts in a chaotic battle. What's the point of sending a little girl over at this time? To be a burden?
But since the person has already arrived, Jiang Bai can't just send them away, can he?
Suppressing his anger at immediately confronting Cheng Tiangang, he sighed helplessly and said, "It's you. You came to help? We were waiting for you at the hotel. Why are you only arriving now?"
The other party was not only young, but also unpunctual, arriving so late that Jiang Bai didn't even have time to replace him, which made Jiang Bai very angry.
"I...I...I arrived early, but...but I...I'm lost..."
The other party's pitiful response nearly made Jiang Bai choke on his water.
Someone who can get lost just by going out is asking me to take on several top-tier experts? Isn't that just asking for trouble?
"Where are you? Find a taxi. I'll tell you the hotel address, then come over and call me when you get there."
Jiang Bai said speechlessly, and then tried to hang up the phone.
But at this moment, Zhang Mengmeng's anxious voice rang out, sounding like she was about to cry: "I... I lost my luggage, I lost my wallet, and they even took my phone. It was a borrowed phone, and I don't have any money to go."
This person is practically an idiot. He just went out and someone took all his luggage. How can someone like this compete with a group of top experts?
Jiang Bai was speechless.
Where are you? I'm coming to find you.
Judging from the sound, Jiang Bai felt sorry for the little guy. He couldn't just leave him there and ignore him, could he?
It's still early, so there's no harm in making a trip.
So Jiang Bai asked her where she was, told her to stay there and not move, and then hung up the phone.
After hanging up, she said angrily, "Do you think the Ghost Group is playing us? For such a big event, why send such a little girl? This time we're dealing with the world's top people, what use is sending such a girl?"
"If someone can steal our luggage and phone just by going out, wouldn't they just be a burden to us?"
"These guys are already troublesome enough, and now they've added another burden to our lives. They're going to ruin us!"
Lieyang nodded in deep agreement with these words. The old man didn't have that much compassion; he was a typical selfish person. He didn't show the slightest sympathy for the other party because she was a timid little girl. On the contrary, he agreed with Jiang Bai's words wholeheartedly.
"That's not necessarily true," Rou Shui suddenly said.
The old lady smiled, revealing several gaps in her teeth, which sent chills down one's spine. Yet, the old man remained infatuated, leaving Jiang Bai quite helpless.
"What do you mean?" Jiang Bai asked as he paid the bill, stood up, and walked outside.
"Zhang Mengmeng, I've heard of this little girl. Don't underestimate her. As far as I know, she is said to be the most talented descendant of the Celestial Masters in the past thousand years. It is said that her talent is close to that of the Celestial Master Zhang in his time."
"Her mastery of the Zhengyi Daoist arts has reached a level of perfection. However, she is somewhat naive and seems to have never left Longhu Mountain. Having lived on the mountain since childhood, she is a bit timid. But she is definitely a master. It is even said that the current Celestial Master is interested in breaking with tradition and letting her succeed him in the future, becoming the first female Celestial Master in history."
"However, I don't know if this is true or false, or if this Zhang Mengmeng is the one I was talking about. But I think since the Ghost Group brought her here, it's probably true."
Rou Shui's words lessened Jiang Bai's anger slightly, but he still said indignantly, "No matter how talented she is, we can't bring her here. What's going on this time? Do those guys from Longhu Mountain think this is child's play? Our opponents are all top-notch veterans, none of them are simple characters."
"Which one of them isn't a veteran of countless battles? This little girl who's never even left the mountains, and whom they themselves boast about as a god, is she really useful?"
Neither Rou Shui nor Lie Yang refuted Jiang Bai's words.
Regardless of Zhang Mengmeng's actual strength, it's true that she has no experience whatsoever, and I've heard she's also timid. Even if someone like that is highly skilled, it's one thing for her to bully the weak.
However, a true clash between the strongest could very well become a burden.
Those who can become top-tier masters or SSS-level superhumans are all veterans who have emerged from countless battles and mountains of corpses and seas of blood.
Such people have more experience than Zhang Mengmeng alone; young people simply can't compare to these old guys.
Of course... Jiang Bai is an exception.
He's a monster.
Just like Xu Changsheng, he cannot be described by common sense.
Half an hour later, Jiang Bai and his group found Zhang Mengmeng. What came into view was a girl with long, flowing hair, wearing a dark blue Taoist robe, carrying a yellow bag, who looked about seventeen or eighteen years old and had a pitiful expression.
In terms of appearance, she is pure and lovely, with skin as white as snow. In particular, her big eyes, combined with her otherworldly aura, make her even more attractive to countless people.
If she changed her clothes, she would definitely be a top-tier school beauty, even better than Zhu Xinxin and Xia Yiyi. But the problem is... she's not here for a beauty pageant, she's here to fight.
This appearance makes one extremely uneasy!
Chapter 592 For the Sake of Meat
"You're Zhang Mengmeng?"
Jiang Bai didn't want to say anything cruel to a girl who looked pitiful and silly, but he was in a really bad state right now.
The situation they were about to face was extraordinary. After searching for reinforcements for so long, Cheng Tiangang and his men found that the reinforcements were just a little girl. This made it hard for Jiang Bai to feel good.
"It's me. You are... Jiang Bai?" The other person looked at Jiang Bai blankly and asked uncertainly.
"I am."
Jiang Bai felt that she was asking a pointless question. Who else but him could stand in front of her and talk to her at this time?
Could it be demons or monsters?
"Hello, I am Zhang Mengmeng, the 66th generation descendant of Longhu Mountain. Please take care of me. I'm sorry I'm late today."
Upon hearing this, the young Taoist priest hurriedly bowed to Jiang Bai and said somewhat flusteredly, his big eyes looking at Jiang Bai pitifully as he finished speaking.
"It's alright." Jiang Bai sighed helplessly.
Although he wanted to get angry, he knew that the target couldn't be Zhang Mengmeng. She didn't seem to have done anything wrong. If he really wanted to cause trouble, he should go after the people who brought her here.
"Thank you, thank you, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, it's all because I was so stupid."
"They said they'd help me with my luggage, but I waited for ages and couldn't find them!"
"Another older sister asked to borrow my phone, but I couldn't find her after that."
"Today, I..."
Jiang Bai was speechless and remained silent, nodding quietly as he listened to Zhang Mengmeng's account. It turned out that the little Taoist priest in the robe had arrived early in the morning, much earlier than Lieyang and the others.
As a result, after leaving the house, they encountered an unlicensed taxi, were swindled out of all their luggage, and even had their wallets stolen.
Then, their only phone was also stolen by someone on the street.
She had been wandering the streets all day and finally found a kind person to call her. This was because she felt her phone number was very important and had made several copies of it, one of which was in the bag behind her.
The reason the package wasn't taken was because, apart from a broken wooden sword, it contained magical artifacts. People probably thought it was unlucky and threw it away by the roadside after looking at it, but she picked it up.
Jiang Bai was speechless at all of the above, not knowing what to say or how to comfort Zhang Mengmeng.
Jiang Bai said he hadn't thought it through.
A gurgling sound rang out at that moment.
This startled everyone around her. Zhang Mengmeng's face immediately turned slightly red. She lowered her head shyly, rubbing her hands together, and looked at Jiang Bai pitifully with her big, watery eyes: "I...I haven't eaten yet."
Sighing, and seeing that it was still early, Jiang Bai said helplessly, "Let's go get something to eat first."
"Mmm." Zhang Mengmeng nodded excitedly, her mouth practically watering.
Afterwards, Jiang Bai, along with two elderly men and women, Lieyang and Roushui, and a pretty young Taoist priest who looked quite young, found a decent roadside stall and got some food for Zhang Mengmeng.
The young Taoist priest buried his head in his food, but every now and then he would look up, his eyes brimming with tears, and say, "It's so delicious. I've never eaten such a delicious meal on the mountain."
This is quite speechless. I don't know how the Celestial Master's Mansion of Longhu Mountain raised her. She has never seen the world. A plate of Longjing shrimp, a plate of fried rice, plus a plate of stir-fried green peppers and shredded pork, is it really that delicious?
"What kind of crap did you eat on the mountain?" Jiang Bai couldn't help but twitch his lips.
"Eat vegetarian! Master Zhang, who is also my dad, said that eating vegetarian food is good, so we all eat vegetarian food." Zhang Mengmeng said pitifully while eating.
"Don't you eat meat?" Jiang Bai asked in surprise.
"Eat, but others can eat, but I can't…" Zhang Mengmeng swallowed a mouthful of rice, then took a sip of water to make it easier to swallow, and then said this to Jiang Bai.
"Why?" Jiang Bai asked, puzzled.
Actually, Taoism doesn't prohibit meat or fish. It's not like monks who don't abstain from women and meat. They can get married and eat meat; there's nothing they can't do.
Of course... actually, there are quite a few monks these days who drink alcohol, eat meat, and chase after girls.
"The Celestial Master said that only in this way can the body become ethereal and closer to the natural way of Tao. Abstaining from meat and fish allows one to communicate with the heavens," Zhang Mengmeng said, uttering this strange and mysterious statement.
Then, seeing Jiang Bai's blank look, he quickly added, "I checked the records, and there's no such thing. He doesn't let me eat meat because he's afraid I'll get fat and won't be able to get married. My sister did that when she was little..."
At this point, she suddenly realized something, stuck out her tongue, and said no more.
He then picked up a strip of meat, stuffed it into his mouth, and said excitedly, "This is the third time in seventeen years that I've eaten meat. It's so delicious."
Her appearance made several people's mouths twitch, but what she said next made everyone burst out laughing. While eating, Zhang Mengmeng said, "I really went to great lengths to make sure I had stewed meat. Originally, the Celestial Master was supposed to come in person, but I put something in his food..."
At this point, Zhang Mengmeng suddenly froze, because she noticed that the three people around her were staring at her blankly. Jiang Bai's forehead was covered in dark clouds, as if a storm was about to break.
"What did you download?!" Jiang Bai asked irritably.
He was just complaining that the Ghost Group sent someone to help, saying that it was supposed to be a master, a real master, someone who could be of great use.
As a result, Zhang Mengmeng appeared. Jiang Bai didn't understand why, but now he heard that they originally intended to send Zhang Tianshi, the number one expert of Longhu Mountain.
As a result... that person was drugged by Zhang Mengmeng?
"Disaster and illness are intertwined."
Zhang Mengmeng lowered her head, her face slightly flushed, and uttered a name that left Jiang Bai and Lie Yang completely bewildered.
They didn't understand this thing, or what the purpose of these scribbles was.
Jiang Bai wasn't sure either, but judging from the name, it was obviously not a good thing; it was probably a talisman that would bring misfortune and illness to people.
Rou Shui, on the other hand, was stunned for a moment. It was clear that she knew what this was, so she said in horror, "Disaster and Illness Prolongation Talisman? This is a small talisman. It's one thing if it can harm ordinary people, but how can it harm Zhang Tianshi?"
"His cultivation level isn't as high as mine. Two years ago, I placed a talisman on him, and he couldn't detect it." Zhang Mengmeng laughed heartily upon hearing this, saying with a hint of pride.
He then glanced at Jiang Bai, whose face was gloomy, and quickly added, "I know this matter is very important, but he is currently suffering from illness and will not be able to leave Longhu Mountain for several months, so he sent me. Brother, don't worry, I will definitely not hold you back. Although I have never fought, my Taoist cultivation is higher than theirs, and I will definitely be able to help."
Chapter 593 Nangong's Scheme
"Do you even realize that we're facing real experts this time? If you're not careful, you'll be reduced to ashes. And since we're already at a disadvantage, there won't be anyone to help you. You need to think this through!"
"And I must warn you, people could very well die!"
Jiang Bai took Zhang Mengmeng's words to heart. He glanced at Zhang Mengmeng, who was full of confidence, frowned, and said the following.
As he said, this matter is not so simple. Even though Zhang Mengmeng herself said that her cultivation level was above Zhang Tianshi's, Jiang Bai was not at ease with her.
Before this, she had never even stepped out of Longhu Mountain, let alone fought or killed anyone.
When such a person actually fights, there will be many flaws. No matter how high her cultivation level is, she will definitely not be as effective as Zhang Tianshi when it comes to fighting to the death, because she has never seen blood, has never killed anyone, and is a girl, so she is not ruthless enough by nature.
Jiang Bai was terrified that Zhang Mengmeng would mess things up at the crucial moment.
"So... is there any meat to eat?"
Zhang Mengmeng looked blankly at these words, unsure whether she understood or not. She just kept nodding, then glanced at Jiang Bai and asked curiously.
This made Jiang Bai's lips twitch slightly, and he replied dryly, "If you agree, you can eat as much as you want."
As for what would happen if he lost, Jiang Bai didn't say. In that kind of environment, how could he expect to survive if he lost?
Are you kidding me?
I reckon that apart from Jiang Bai, it would be very difficult for the others to escape.
"I see. When shall we depart?"
But Zhang Mengmeng seemed completely unaware of the seriousness of the problem. Upon hearing this, she excitedly asked...
I'm already quite eager to try it out and can't wait.
This made Jiang Bai glance at Lie Yang beside him, then at Rou Shui. The group looked at each other, and they all saw a hint of worry in each other's eyes.
However, no one spoke. Zhang Mengmeng was just a newborn calf, coming down the mountain for the first time.
They're here to help, but they have no experience and are probably already a little nervous. If they add more pressure to this girl, it could affect her performance later on, which is something no one present wants to see.
Therefore, keeping quiet is the best option.
After dinner, the group chatted with Zhang Mengmeng for a while to relieve her stress. Around nine o'clock, Jiang Bai glanced at his watch before saying, "It's almost time."
The group then drove away to a desolate mountain in the northern suburbs of the island, where the Nangong family's residence was located.
Since the Nangong family was defeated by a group of forces led by the Renzu organization on the mainland decades ago, the Nangong family of Suzhou has migrated to Taiwan, using it as a center to radiate to various parts of Southeast Asia.
This place became the new stronghold of the Nangong family, while their original home, Gusu, was dominated by another family that had relied on Gusu for thousands of years, the Murong family.
Speaking of the Murong family, they actually have some connection with Huang San. The Murong family played a significant role in Huang San's success in Suzhou. However, the family has declined and can no longer provide Huang San with much support. Otherwise, he wouldn't have needed to rely on Jiang Bai in the first place.
An hour later, Jiang Bai and his group arrived at the ancestral home of the Nangong family. They parked their car in a secluded corner at the foot of the mountain and then sped up.
Everyone present was a master. Although they couldn't fly, they could easily traverse a hundred steps on tiptoe and walk through mountains and rivers as if on flat ground.
The blazing sun, enveloped in flames, shot straight up, tearing through the night sky, while the gentle water was enveloped in a ball of light water and floated up. Jiang Bai originally wanted to bring Zhang Mengmeng along, but he found that Zhang Mengmeng took out a talisman, muttered to herself and made a couple of gestures, and then her whole body floated up.
This surprised Jiang Bai for a moment, and then he remained silent.
The group landed near the ancestral home of the Nangong family, then slowly approached, finding a strategic spot on the mountaintop to overlook the entire area before hiding themselves.
In essence, Taoist arts are a form of spiritual power. Superpowered individuals use their powerful spiritual power to control energy that resonates with them, unleashing powerful attacks. Taoist arts involve cultivating one's own spiritual power and then releasing it through various mediums, enabling the manipulation of infinite elements.
Initially, those with supernatural abilities are definitely stronger than those with Taoist magic, but this may not be the case later on.
Because they can only use the energy that is compatible with them, while experts like Zhang Mengmeng can use various mediums, different talismans and magical artifacts to resonate with energy and use various methods. The more variations they use, the greater their power, naturally giving them an edge over those with superpowers.
Of course, achieving this is not easy; perhaps only one in a hundred people can successfully cultivate Taoist arts, and reaching the level of a top master is even more difficult.
For thousands of years, Longhu Mountain has dominated the Zhengyi sect. The fundamental reason is that this family was born with extraordinary spiritual power, much stronger than ordinary people, so naturally, the power they wielded was much greater.
Essentially, the Zhang Tianshi family of Longhu Mountain is also a family of supernatural beings, which has been passed down through generations.
These were all things that Zhang Mengmeng had personally told Jiang Bai in the car, giving Jiang Bai a completely new understanding of their line of work.
Looking down at the enormous mansion of the Nangong family, which occupied the entire mountain and covered thousands of square meters with hundreds of rooms, Jiang Bai remained silent. Zhang Mengmeng asked curiously, "Didn't they say someone would attack? Where are they?"
"Calm down and wait patiently. He'll be back sooner or later," Jiang Bai replied in a low voice, neither confirming nor denying.
"Are the Nangong family sure they've received the news? How come they're completely unprepared?"
Lieyang frowned as he looked at the patrolling people in the courtyard. Only a few cats and dogs were walking around. The rest of the place was dark, except for a few rooms with lights on.
It doesn't look like they were prepared.
"The calmer things are, the more suspicious they are. The Nangong family has already sensed something is wrong. How could they be so careless? I think there's something fishy going on here."
Rou Shui rolled her eyes at Lie Yang, disagreeing with his statement.
On the contrary, I felt there were huge problems inside.
"What do you think the Nangong family is planning? Have you heard any rumors before?" Jiang Bai asked noncommittally, his eyes darting back and forth as if he were pondering some possibility.
"Well... it's hard to say. Recently, things have been very turbulent in Taiwan. Not only has Flying Eagle been making constant small moves, but the Nangong family has also been doing a lot behind the scenes."
"Flying Eagle has a grudge against the Nangong family. Not only was the decline of the Sky Eagle Sect directly related to the Nangong family, but more importantly, Flying Eagle's eldest son died at the hands of the Nangong family."
Chapter 594 A Very Big Game
"Not only that, Flying Eagle rose to prominence on the island, continued to expand, and even dominated the island, becoming a local tyrant. The Nangong family had a lot of conflicts of interest with him."
"The Nangong family is behind the government's crackdown on Flying Eagle, and even the two other gangs that fight against Flying Eagle. Their relationship can be described as irreconcilable."
"If it weren't for the government's efforts to maintain balance and prevent the two sides from fighting too much, supporting Flying Eagle to suppress Nangong before Flying Eagle's rise and suppressing Flying Eagle after Flying Eagle's rise to balance the two factions, they would have already decided the winner by now."
"Regarding their relationship, Flying Eagle has been stirring up trouble lately, and we've received news about it on the mainland. The Nangong family isn't dead; they've been maintaining close ties with other prominent families on the mainland recently."
"We've released information again today. I don't believe they weren't prepared. There must be something wrong here, we just don't know the specifics."
Rou Shui added again, causing the group to fall silent as they pondered the issue.
Just as Rou Shui said, they had sensed something was wrong even back in the mainland, although they only learned in the last two days that Flying Eagle was targeting the Nangong family.
Given their deep-rooted local power and the extensive reach of the Nangong family throughout the entire island, there was no reason why they would have been completely unaware of any information.
That would be very unusual. Yet, to this day, they haven't discovered any underhanded tactics by the Nangong family, as if they were completely unprepared. This is rather abnormal.
"There's always a way out. We'll just have to watch. They're in the open, and we're in the shadows. If things don't go well, we can simply not intervene," Jiang Bai said after thinking for a moment.
Actually, that's not entirely true, because Jiang Bai is certain that Flying Eagle has now obtained his identity, and since he had his men kill Saburo Horii and his gang yesterday, the matter must have already blown up.
If Flying Eagle couldn't find him, he would immediately become suspicious of his identity. With a little investigation, Jiang Bai believed that, given Flying Eagle's methods, his information had already fallen into Flying Eagle's hands today.
However, none of that matters. Just as Cheng Tiangang said, Flying Eagle and his men are now on the verge of action and have no choice but to act.
It's too late to regret it now.
There's nothing to worry about.
Jiang Bai was certain that even if Flying Eagle knew his identity and was somewhat worried, he would definitely not change his action plan at this time.
Everything had been arranged. Changing the plan now would be telling the Nangong family what Fei Ying wanted to do. Once the Nangong family was prepared, all his plans would be in vain.
The four great families are closely linked. Even if the Dongfang family betrays them, once the Nangong family is prepared and sends out a request for help, more than twenty ancient martial arts families will mobilize all their experts. Even if Flying Eagle organizes twice as many people, he will probably return empty-handed.
After Jiang Bai finished speaking, everyone remained silent. Zhang Mengmeng, who was happily munching on a piece of bread, suddenly remembered something, stood up abruptly, took out a bronze mirror from the bag behind her, and told Jiang Bai with a smile, "Want to know what they're doing? That's easy, I have the Mystic Mirror!"
"Mystic Mirror?" Jiang Bai was taken aback, not understanding why. Why did this world seem more and more fantastical?
"Yes, we have the Xuan Guang Mirror that can see what they are doing. Please wait a moment."
Zhang Mengmeng chuckled upon hearing this, then took out a talisman and lit it out of thin air. The next second, ashes flew down, and Jiang Bai saw them falling like stars in the courtyard of the Nangong family.
He even noticed that some dust was drifting into the room with the moonlight.
The next second, Zhang Mengmeng bit her finger, and blood dripped onto the bronze mirror, revealing the scene inside the room.
Jiang Bai immediately saw the head of the Nangong family and Nangong Qingyun. In addition, there were more than twenty old men sitting in a spacious room, resting with their eyes closed.
The light flashed by in an instant, and then there was no other image in the mirror; everything returned to normal.
Clearly, this Xuan Guang Mirror only transmitted the scene briefly through some medium.
However, the information was still useful, because Lieyang over there exclaimed in a low voice, "Beiming Canghai! The old fellows from the Beiming family have come too?"
"Heh heh, and Ximen Fengrui too. The Ximen family is here too? It seems the Nangong family was prepared all along." Rou Shui recognized one of them and said with a sneer.
The fact that these two people knew and recognized him, and even reacted with such expressions, meant he must be an extremely skilled expert. This made Jiang Bai's heart sink slightly.
Several more people joined the battle. With the addition of two top-tier experts from the Nangong family, the Nangong family now has four members. The remaining twenty-odd elders are all top-tier first-rank experts, and there might even be a hidden ancient martial arts master among them.
If that's the case, the Nangong family would immediately go from being absolutely suppressed to being evenly matched with the Flying Eagle.
On the contrary, Jiang Bai and his group, who were planning to sit back and watch the tigers fight and reap the benefits, seemed to be outnumbered and outmatched.
"Nangong, Beiming, and Ximen have all sent people. Do you think the Dongfang family would turn against them at all costs? I don't believe it! The four great families are all in cahoots. Even if the Dongfang family has some conflict with them, it's possible that they could join forces with Feiying, secretly plot against Nangong, or even launch a sneak attack on them."
"But to say that the Dongfang family would wage a full-scale war against other families and isolate itself from the ranks of aristocratic families, I would never believe it!"
Just as Jiang Bai was deep in thought, Lie Yang said something that made Jiang Bai squint his eyes.
As Lieyang said, if it were just the Nangong family, then the alliance between the Dongfang family and the Flying Eagle family would be somewhat forced but still understandable. However, if it were to make enemies of all the other families, the Dongfang family would never do it.
So... the veracity of their defection to Flying Eagle and their alliance with Flying Eagle is questionable.
"It seems that the four great families have played a very big game with Flying Eagle. Is this a trap to lure them into a snare? I wonder if the other people Flying Eagle has brought in have any entanglements with the Nangong family."
Rou Shui said something that made Jiang Bai's heart skip a beat.
This is a problem we must guard against. After all, the benefits that Flying Eagle can offer are also those that the Nangong family can offer. They have already made preparations, and the items are in the hands of the Nangong family, not Flying Eagle. Moreover, the Nangong family has so many experts.
From any perspective, choosing the Nangong family is better than choosing the Flying Eagle.
Those people are only allied with Flying Eagle for mutual benefit; who would be willing to risk their life for Flying Eagle?
On one hand, they need to fight to the death against the Nangong family; on the other hand, they only need to switch sides on the spot. The benefits are almost the same.
If that's the case, why would they risk their lives for Flying Eagle?
Chapter 595 They Engaged in Battle
These people aren't Flying Eagle's biological sons, why bother worrying about him so much?
With self-interest as their priority, it's not impossible that these people might have colluded with Nangong beforehand, or even if they hadn't, they might have switched sides on the spot.
"In that case, our situation is not optimistic," Jiang Bai said with a solemn expression.
What happened to Flying Eagle was of little concern to him; they were all no good, so their death was no big deal.
The key issue is that if this is the case, Jiang Bai and his group are in some danger.
Now it's a three-way struggle for supremacy, with three forces, and they have the fewest people. If things had gone according to the previous plan, with Flying Eagle and his two groups fighting to the death, Jiang Bai could have naturally reaped the benefits.
But if things really go according to Rou Shui's analysis, Jiang Bai and the others will be in danger.
Having dealt with Flying Eagle, given the deep-seated hatred between the Nangong family and Jiang Bai, it would be a miracle if they didn't cause trouble for Jiang Bai.
As for how they knew Jiang Bai was here, Jiang Bai didn't think it was a big deal at all.
Jiang Bai judged that Flying Eagle knew everything, so how could the Nangong family be completely unaware?
Perhaps the Nangong family is already discussing how to deal with Jiang Bai after they've dealt with Flying Eagle.
Jiang Bai's hatred for the Nangong family is much greater than that for Flying Eagle.
Half of the Nangong family's elite forces were lost at Jiang Bai's hands; this was a blood feud.
Jiang Bai didn't believe the Nangong family would just let it go like that.
Zhang Mengmeng looked blank at Jiang Bai's words, but Lieyang and Roushui's expressions changed and became serious.
"What should we do?" Lieyang couldn't help but ask.
"We'll see how things go. If things turn out the way we think, we'll decide whether to stay or leave then!"
Jiang Bai narrowed his eyes and said noncommittally, already considering whether or not to temporarily side with Flying Eagle.
"They're here."
Just then, Rou Shui suddenly spoke, and several figures rushed from the distant sky, heading straight for the ancestral home of the Nangong family. They rushed in, with Fei Ying taking the lead and taking care of the guards before rushing in.
But at that very moment, a Vermilion Bird cried out in the sky, accompanied by a sky full of flames, and rushed out of the house, heading straight for the Flying Eagle.
This is the "Vermilion Bird Burning Heaven Technique" of the Nangong family. True Qi is released outward, and the fist intent is manifested. The Vermilion Bird Fist Intent is thus unleashed.
Jiang Bai had seen it before; it was the work of the Nangong family head.
"The fight has started!" Zhang Mengmeng stood up excitedly and said with a hint of agitation.
As the Vermilion Bird Fist was unleashed, a hawk swooped down in front of the Flying Eagle, colliding with the opponent's fist intent. A huge explosion was heard, and the Flying Eagle staggered back a few steps before landing on the ground. Meanwhile, the Nangong family head had already rushed out.
"Flying Eagle! I knew you had ill intentions!" the Nangong family head said coldly, with Nangong Qingyun standing to his left, facing off against Flying Eagle.
"Heh heh, does it matter if you feel at ease or not? We have six people here now, all of them top-tier combatants. Do you think you still have a chance to turn the tables? With just two top-tier experts from your Nangong family, you and Nangong Qingyun are no match?"
Flying Eagle sneered, as if victory was assured.
The other experts made their moves and surrounded the Nangong family head and his companion in an instant.
"You think you have victory in your grasp? I doubt it!" With a loud shout, Ximen Fengrui and Beiming Canghai, two experts, rushed out, followed by more than twenty old men, all of whom were top-notch experts.
Each of them was of the highest rank, and they confronted the low-level combat forces brought by Flying Eagle.
"I didn't expect you to be prepared. That's quite a surprise. But even with four against six, we still have the advantage!"
The appearance of these two people caused Flying Eagle's expression to change, but he was not too afraid, because he still held the advantage.
"Advantage? Four against six? That doesn't sound right, does it? Our Dongfang family isn't on your side!" Unexpectedly, Dongfang Liuxing, who had been standing with Feiying, suddenly changed his direction and looked at Feiying with a sneer.
"What! You! Dongfang Liuxing, you actually lied to me!"
Flying Eagle was taken aback by Dongfang Liuxing's actions, then looked at Dongfang Liuxing with disbelief and a furious expression.
"There's nothing I can do about it. The four great families have been closely connected for thousands of years. Although I have some acquaintance with you and we have a good relationship, how can it compare to our relationship? So, Flying Eagle, I can only apologize to you."
Dongfang Liuxing responded with a cold laugh, and his change immediately altered the surrounding lineup, turning four against six into five against five.
"It's five against five now. Looks like we'll have to go all out." Flying Eagle responded coldly. Although Eastern Meteor betrayed him, catching him off guard, he still had five top-tier fighters on his side, making them no weaker than their opponents.
It's not something to be overly afraid of.
"Everyone, I know why you have come. The Nangong family can guarantee that the map of the underground palace of Lishan Mausoleum can be shared with you. The things that Feiying promised you, the Nangong family can also promise."
Just as Jiang Bai had expected, although the other party had not contacted Flying Eagle's people in advance for fear of alerting them and causing unnecessary trouble, they still pulled out their trump card at the crucial moment.
One sentence immediately shook the resolve of the people on Flying Eagle's side.
However, no one immediately expressed a desire to switch sides.
"Don't trust them. The four great families are all in cahoots. If we don't unite, we will definitely be defeated one by one. I know you all prioritize your own interests, so it's good that you don't risk your lives to get what you want."
"But everyone here is smart. The Lishan Mausoleum is in China, that's their territory. If you help them get rid of me today, they will have no more worries. Then the four great families will join forces and defeat you one by one. What can you do then?"
"They're just making empty promises now; they'll turn their backs on you later, and you'll regret it!"
In his haste, Flying Eagle hurriedly said.
These words clearly had an effect. The conditions offered by the Nangong family were indeed tempting, but they were different from Flying Eagle.
Flying Eagle is a lone wolf. No matter how powerful he is on his own, if he dares to break his promise, they can force him to comply because of their numbers. But what if Flying Eagle were replaced by the four great families?
The four ancient martial arts families are closely linked, and they are supported by twenty-seven smaller families. With so many experts and powerful figures, they are truly helpless when these families turn their backs on them afterward.
As Flying Eagle said, this is nothing but a pie in the sky.
In the end, these people may very well have made a wasted trip and gained nothing.
"Heh, Flying Eagle, you're just..."
The head of the Nangong family wanted to speak, but Feiying didn't give him a chance. He shouted, "Enough with the nonsense!"
They had already rushed out first.
Chapter 596 Open the Coffin
"Well done!"
Seeing this, Jiang Bai couldn't help but give Flying Eagle a thumbs up.
We can't say anything more now; if we continue, some of his people will definitely waver.
If there is any wavering, his loose alliance will surely disintegrate immediately.
That would be troublesome for Flying Eagle.
While we're still unsettled, let's take action now and eliminate these people in front of us.
Fighting them, regardless of winning or losing, won't be a big problem.
In the end, it's just a matter of losing to each other, resulting in mutual destruction, but at least we won't lose our lives here.
"Flying Eagle is indeed quite clever. It's no exaggeration to say that he's risen from a small-time hoodlum to his current level."
Lieyang said with a chuckle.
Then everyone fell silent and watched as the fighting raged on the other side.
When ten top experts take turns fighting, it immediately creates an earth-shattering event.
The ancestral home of the Nangong family was smashed to pieces in an instant.
Loud noises and fierce battles were everywhere.
However, the top group, although they suffered losses, none of them were actually killed. On the contrary, the others, the core members, were killed one by one.
A few minutes later, the ancestral home of the Nangong family was razed to the ground. Apart from the ten experts, everyone else had been reduced to ashes, with no remains left.
"When do you think the first person will die?" Jiang Bai asked Lie Yang with a smile.
He was in a great mood. These people were all enemies, and it would be better if they all died. Once they were almost all dead, Jiang Bai would be happy.
You can easily walk in, take the map of the dungeon, and leave. Everything is perfect.
"ah!"
Suddenly, a scream rang out. Nangong Qingyun's neck was severed by the sword-wielding Yamato-Yagyu Shinkage-ryu master. With a scream, his body was separated from his head.
Although he dealt a heavy blow to the enemy before he died, it immediately reduced their strength significantly.
The expert from the Yagyu Shinkage style, after a moment of rest, rushed forward to help another SSS-level ability user from country A besiege Dongfang Liuxing.
Dongfang Liuxing, who initially had a slight advantage, was quickly overwhelmed by the two attackers from the front and back, and Yinyin was finding it difficult to hold on.
While the others were locked in a fierce battle, Dongfang Liuxing was struggling to hold on, and no one could help him at all.
The Nangong family immediately appeared somewhat weakened.
"Damn it!"
The head of the Nangong family shouted and repelled the flying eagle. He tried to rush over to help, but before he could take two steps, the flying eagle entangled him again.
His strength was slightly higher than Flying Eagle's. Neither of them were top-tier experts who had come from the right path. Their strength improved very little after their breakthroughs, just like most people who had reached the top-tier expert level in this way.
They were stuck there for the rest of their lives.
However, the Nangong family possessed exceptional family skills, and Fei Ying was still slightly weaker than the Nangong family head.
However, this line is not obviously weak. It will definitely not be easy for the Nangong family head to deal with Flying Eagle. Otherwise, Flying Eagle would not have been able to roam around in Taiwan for so long.
"The Nangong family is in trouble this time," Lieyang said with a grin.
He glanced at Jiang Bai and replied with a playful expression, "Aren't you very happy?"
"I'm really happy. We solved a big problem. It's a pity that too few people died."
Jiang Bai laughed heartily.
He had a bad relationship with the Nangong family. Although he was also an enemy of Feiying, he was happy to weaken the Nangong family's power at this time. With Nangong Qingyun dead, the Nangong family's power plummeted.
If the head of the Nangong family also dies, that would be perfect; a frustrating end to an enemy.
"ah!"
Another scream rang out as the demonic expert that Flying Eagle had brought was defeated by Bei Ming Canghai, whose hands pierced through the man's body.
The two forces were now evenly matched. However, it was a pity that while he killed his opponent at the cost of serious injury, Dongfang Liuxing was killed by a master of the Liusheng Xinyin School.
It has to be said that this person is really amazing. He killed two people in a row. The first was killed by him alone, and the second was killed by him in a coordinated attack. This shows that his strength is probably a level above that of Flying Eagle and his group.
If Jiang Bai's guess is correct, this person must have reached this level step by step through his own abilities.
Such a person has a bright future. Of course... he is not as good as Yang Wudi right now. If it were Yang Wudi, killing three people on his own would not be a problem, and he would not be as badly injured as this guy.
Two more people reduced their production, further weakening the Nangong family's power.
The two people, now with some free time, turned their attention to the heavily injured Bei Ming Canghai, and in an instant, they were locked in a stalemate once again.
After fighting for a while, the SSS-level superhuman suddenly abandoned the encirclement and took the opportunity to attack and kill Ximen Fengrui. Caught off guard, Ximen Fengrui was killed.
The situation has now become increasingly clear: four against two, the Nangong family is definitely going to lose.
Moreover, the defeat was already inevitable.
"Should we go on stage?" Lieyang asked eagerly.
"It's not the right time yet. Let's wait until they're almost done for. Didn't you see that Flying Eagle has killed several of them? They're already at their last gasp. If we make a move now, they might immediately join forces against us. It's better to wait a bit longer."
Even if the Nangong family is wiped out, we can still hold off one or two others. Then we'll be even more confident.
Jiang Bai muttered these words to himself.
However, his eyes flickered as he said this, because there was another reason he didn't say: he felt that the Nangong family wouldn't be so easily destroyed.
Although there was no concrete evidence, just a simple idea, Jiang Bai had a strong feeling that the four great families were not so easy to deal with.
If they were really that easy to deal with, how could they have survived for two thousand years without interruption?
This is inherently unreasonable; only absolute strength can achieve this.
That's why Jiang Bai didn't act rashly, wanting to see if the Nangong family had any backup plans.
If so, he would naturally dodge the opponent's next move, see through the opponent's trump card, and only then would he be able to make a move with confidence.
If not, then the best option is for Flying Eagle to destroy the Nangong family.
At that time, like the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind, Jiang Bai can obtain the map of the underground palace effortlessly.
"Nangong! We can't wait any longer! Hurry up and open the coffin!" Bei Ming Canghai shouted at this moment, repelling two experts who were besieging him. He pushed the Nangong family head behind him and stood in front of him.
"I'll listen to you!" The head of the Nangong family said solemnly, his expression changing.
Then, in full view of everyone, he stomped on the ground, causing it to crack and shatter instantly. As debris flew everywhere, an ice-carved coffin appeared before them...
Chapter 597 Ice Burial Coffin
The ice-carved coffin, its material unknown, was hidden in the center of the courtyard. It was unclear whether it had been buried there beforehand or was already ancient.
However, Jiang Bai was more inclined to believe the former. The coffin hadn't been buried here for very long; it must have been placed there after the Nangong family discovered something was wrong.
From a distance, Jiang Bai could see that inside the ice sculpture coffin, a lifelike old man was sleeping soundly with his eyes closed.
"Ice burial coffin!"
Zhang Mengmeng, who had been frantically munching on a sausage, suddenly changed her expression, staring intently at the ice coffin in the distance, her face deathly pale.
What is that?
Jiang Bai couldn't help but ask.
He also realized that this coffin was no ordinary one; otherwise, the Nangong family head and Beiming Canghai wouldn't have used it as a lifeline.
"Ice burial coffin is a method of ice burial. Legend has it that if a person uses special medicine before death, and a coffin is made of condensed ice, with some energy arrays inscribed on it, the person can be guaranteed to sleep forever."
"Once you enter the ice coffin, you are nominally dead, but you are actually alive. Preserving yourself for a thousand years or even longer is not a problem."
"This kind of ice burial coffin was very popular in ancient times. Its production method was unique and ingenious, and the medicine required was a mystery. I always thought it was just a legend, but I didn't expect it to be true! Ice burial coffins really exist!"
"Actually, the emerging scientific method now, which involves freezing people after they die and waiting for them to be resurrected one day, is the same idea as those who use cryogenic coffins. The only difference is that cryogenic coffins freeze living people, while current cold storage facilities only store dead people."
"But in essence, they are no different; they all hope to be sealed away and resurrected one day."
Zhang Mengmeng said with a solemn expression.
"So, there's a living person in this ice coffin? A living person who's about to die? If that's the case, what's so scary about it? Why are we taking it so seriously?" Jiang Bai couldn't help but ask.
He didn't understand this. It was just a person who was about to die being frozen. What was so scary about that?
"You don't understand. This kind of ice burial is extremely expensive and difficult to make. It requires a lot of money and precious medicinal materials. Not everyone can afford it," Zhang Mengmeng replied solemnly.
"Does that mean there's a master inside?" Jiang Bai asked in astonishment.
However, he immediately smiled and realized how silly his question was. If he wasn't a true master, why would the Nangong family have spared no expense to preserve him?
If he wasn't a true master, why would Bei Ming Canghai and the Nangong family head have regarded him as their lifeline?
"Do you think the Nangong family might have many such ice burial coffins? They might freeze all the outstanding masters of the family throughout history, and then take them out for use when needed?"
Jiang Bai thought of a terrible problem.
Money has never been a problem for the Nangong family; they can manage even at enormous costs.
If they could freeze all the masters of the past and release them when needed, wouldn't they be invincible?
However, once this idea came out, a new problem arose.
That is, since this ice coffin has such an effect, why didn't they just release these experts before?
Did they manage to eliminate Flying Eagle and his men, but instead so many people died?
The loss of three top-tier masters is an unbearable burden, even for the four great ancient martial arts families.
Why did they only open the coffins after the three masters had fallen?
"The first question, I'll tell you, is impossible. It's not just about money; it's said to involve some mysterious drugs. Those drugs are produced in limited quantities and are extremely precious. Even the Nangong family couldn't monopolize them."
"Therefore, they probably didn't have many ice burial coffins."
"As for the second question, it's simple. The ice burial coffin cannot be opened casually. Once it is opened, the person inside will be resurrected, but they will not be able to undergo ice burial a second time. So, unless absolutely necessary, the ice burial coffin must not be opened."
Zhang Mengmeng answered these two questions. As a successor of a long-standing power, she obviously knew more than Lieyang and the others.
Jiang Bai remained silent, because at this moment, in the courtyard of the Nangong family, which had been razed to the ground, the head of the Nangong family stood there, supporting an ice coffin, with Bei Ming Canghai standing to his left.
"Flying Eagle, I didn't expect you to be so powerful, killing three of us! Now I'll give you a chance to get out of here right now, and I might spare your life."
Panting heavily, the head of the Nangong family, supporting himself against the ice coffin, coldly looked at the flying eagle and said this.
Even at this point, he was unwilling to open the coffin easily, because the method and process of making the ice burial coffin had been lost. The Nangong family possessed a very limited number of ice burial coffins, and opening one would mean losing a portion of their power.
Decades ago, the Nangong family had already opened two doors. Although they helped the Nangong family through the crisis, the two family elders had also passed away from old age.
At that time, the Nangong family had an unspoken rule that the coffin should never be opened unless absolutely necessary.
So even though three of the four great families had lost their masters, and the Nangong family had been completely destroyed, the head of the Nangong family still refused to open the coffin.
"Heh heh, a coffin is all you're offering? You think you can threaten me? Nangong Qinglong, you're already cornered. If you know what's good for you, hand over the map of the underground palace and cripple your martial arts. Maybe I'll spare your life!"
With a cold laugh, Flying Eagle said disdainfully.
You think a coffin can scare his flying eagle?
That's utterly delusional.
Clearly, he was not the heir of a family lineage like Zhang Mengmeng's, which had been passed down for thousands of years; he didn't recognize the ice burial coffin.
"Flying Eagle! Don't push your luck!"
The Nangong family replied coldly, one hand already gripping the handle of the ice coffin. With a little force, they would open the mechanism and release the person inside.
"So what if I force you?" Flying Eagle scoffed, thinking it was just a small trick the other party was using to scare him away.
"Don't waste your breath on him. He has no idea what this is. He thinks he has victory in his grasp, so why would he listen to us? Open the coffin!"
The severely injured Bei Ming Canghai roared, shattering the Nangong family's delusions.
The Nangong family members turned pale, glared fiercely at Fei Ying, and then opened the ice burial coffin.
The moment the handle was pulled, the ice coffin shattered into pieces, and a lifelike old man with his eyes closed and breathing peacefully appeared before everyone. He was dressed in a long robe and had a cowtail braid down his back, making it easy for people to identify him.
Those who wear queues are all people from the "Great Qing Dynasty". However, in the early Qing Dynasty, queues were made up of rat tails. Only in the later modern period after the Self-Strengthening Movement did cow tail queues appear. Therefore, the era in which this old man lived is already obvious.
Chapter 598 Nangong Xinghuo
The ice coffin was shattered into pieces, and an old man with a cow-tail braid appeared before everyone, wearing a long-sleeved shirt. After a while, the surrounding cold air dissipated, and suddenly the old man opened his eyes, looking around with a bright and energetic expression.
He didn't look like someone who had been frozen for hundreds of years at all. As he stretched his limbs, crackling sounds followed.
"Who woke me up?" a hoarse voice followed.
"It is I, Nangong Qinglong, the current head of the Nangong family. Greetings, Ancestor Xinghuo." The Nangong family members appeared extremely respectful at this moment. Dragging their injured bodies, they walked up to the old man and said respectfully.
The old man looked to be around sixty years old, even younger than Nangong Qinglong. Yet Nangong Qinglong bowed and knelt before him, a rather strange sight.
"Nangong Qinglong? Xing, Guang, Qing, Yun, Ming—according to seniority, you should call me Grandpa. Tell me, why did you awaken me? Was it for them?"
Nangong Xinghuo looked at Nangong Qinglong in front of her and asked indifferently. After speaking, she pointed to Feiying and the others, showing no intention of taking them seriously.
This infuriated Flying Eagle and his companions, their faces darkening. However, they did not seize the opportunity to attack. They were all trying to buy time to adjust their condition so that they could fight in the best possible state.
"It was them. They attempted to destroy our Nangong family and wanted to obtain the map of the underground palace of the Lishan Mausoleum from us. My grandson refused to comply, and our Nangong family suffered heavy losses. Many experts from other families were also killed or injured. We had no choice but to bring out the ice coffin of our ancestor."
Nangong Qinglong said respectfully.
This made Nangong Xinghuo's face turn cold, and his eyes were filled with murderous intent as he looked at the Flying Eagles and the others in front of him: "Disturbing my slumber? Do you know that I don't have much time left to live? The Ice Burial Coffin is my only hope. It cost a huge amount of money to make the Ice Burial Coffin, and in just over a hundred years, you have awakened it?"
"Once I use it, I will never be able to enter the ice burial coffin again. I will die of old age within a few years or ten years. You... are simply despicable!"
Enraged, Nangong Xinghuo made his move the next second after saying this. He transformed into a streak of light and rushed out at an astonishing speed. Even Jiang Bai only saw a blurry movement of the other party before he had already reached the SSS-level ability user from Country A.
He reached out and grabbed the other person's neck, and with a slight twist, "crack!" the other person's neck was snapped.
"Attack!" Flying Eagle shouted, and the other two didn't dare to hesitate either, rushing out directly towards Nangong Xinghuo.
They now realized the problem; the old man's level of cultivation was completely beyond their imagination. He had killed one of them before they even had a chance to react.
If they don't join forces, they are likely to be defeated one by one by Nangong Xinghuo. The best way now is to unite and kill Nangong Xinghuo.
"A single slash against the wind!"
"God's Dark Kill".
"Soaring Eagle Sky-Piercing Fist!"
The three of them used their strongest techniques to attack Nangong Xinghuo, but unfortunately, Nangong Xinghuo didn't take it seriously at all. He snorted coldly, threw a punch, and a golden Vermilion Bird cried out in the air, rushing straight towards the group.
It collided head-on with the attacks of the three people, causing a huge explosion.
"What! Flying Eagle! How dare you!"
"Flying Eagle, you bastard!"
The massive explosion kicked up smoke, and before Jiang Bai and his group could even understand what was happening, two angry curses followed.
The next second, something happened that left everyone speechless: Flying Eagle actually abandoned his partner and... ran away!
"That's clever!"
Jiang Bai couldn't help but scream in surprise at the sight.
This Flying Eagle is truly something else; he's showing his true colors as a ruthless villain. At this moment, he prioritizes escape, weighing the pros and cons, and abandons his comrades who just fought alongside him without hesitation.
"Ancestor, he is the mastermind, we can't let him get away!" the Nangong family shouted immediately.
Anyone can escape today, but Flying Eagle absolutely cannot. In the end, the others don't have much of a grudge against the Nangong family.
But Flying Eagle had too many entanglements with them and too deep a hatred for them. This incident was entirely caused by Flying Eagle.
Once Flying Eagle escapes, the Nangong family will face a difficult future. Nangong Xinghuo buried himself in an ice coffin because he knew his days were numbered, and he wouldn't live much longer even after this matter was over.
In a few years at most, once Nangong Xinghuo dies, the fleeing Flying Eagles will make a comeback. What will happen then?
Should we open the coffin again?
The Nangong family has stored many ice burial coffins over the past thousands of years, but many have also been used up. Only a few are truly usable. Does that mean Nangong Qinglong can open a coffin three times in his lifetime?
If that were to happen, the first thing the elders of the family would do upon waking up would be to beat this good-for-nothing patriarch to death.
Therefore, we absolutely cannot let Flying Eagle escape this time.
Upon hearing this, Nangong Xinghuo snorted coldly, ignored the two foreign experts, and chased after the flying eagle.
"Make your move! Kill Bei Ming Canghai and Nangong Qinglong first!"
Just then, Jiang Bai suddenly let out a low roar and charged out first.
The Dragon Elephant True Qi, combined with the Dragon Elephant Prajna Palm, unleashed a massive dragon-elephant Qi that launched a sneak attack on Nangong Qinglong from afar.
His words startled Lieyang and the others, but they quickly realized what was happening. Lieyang and Roushui immediately took action, both targeting Beiming Canghai.
A pillar of fire shot into the sky, and the purple flames instantly enveloped the heavily injured Bei Ming Canghai, while the swirling water curtain cut off the escape route for Nangong Qinglong and Bei Ming Canghai.
Several people rushed out. Seeing this scene, Zhang Mengmeng was stunned for a moment, then lit a talisman and threw it at Nangong Xinghuo. The talisman, burning with flames, did something unknown, but it rushed towards Nangong Xinghuo at the speed of a streak of light and exploded beside him.
This girl went straight for the most ruthless one and attacked him.
This surprised Jiang Bai, but he couldn't care less about that now, because he had already rushed to Nangong Qinglong's side.
"Jiang Bai! It's you! You ambushed me!"
Nangong Qinglong shouted, but he didn't have time to react. Jiang Bai had already rushed to his side and punched him in the chest, seriously injuring him.
Then, with incredible speed, his limbs were broken, and his tendons were shattered; all of this was accomplished in the blink of an eye.
It wasn't that Jiang Bai was soft-hearted; it was just that this guy still had a use. What was Jiang Bai's purpose in making this rash move?
Isn't it the underground palace map treasured by the Nangong family?
That thing is in the treasure vault of the Nangong family, but the ancestral home of the Nangong family has been razed to the ground, and Jiang Bai has not seen the legendary treasure vault. Naturally, he cannot kill Nangong Qinglong, otherwise where would Jiang Bai find the thing?
Chapter 599 Changing Surname
Nangong Qinglong was lucky; he was able to survive Jiang Bai's attack, but Beiming Canghai was not so fortunate.
Bei Ming Cang Hai was brutally attacked and killed by Lie Yang and Rou Shui, two SSS-level superhumans.
Meanwhile, Nangong Xinghuo had already captured Feiying and killed him with a single punch, beating him to death.
The two henchmen that Flying Eagle had hired took the opportunity to escape, but Nangong Xinghuo did not pursue them. Instead, he slowly walked out carrying Flying Eagle's corpse.
He then tossed aside the corpse of Flying Eagle, a legendary figure, and coldly stared at Jiang Bai and the others before him, a frosty expression on his face: "Good! Very good, you actually dared to kill my descendant in front of me, a Martial King! Good, you have some nerve!"
He then looked around and coldly uttered, "You will all die today!"
He then shook his arm, looked at it thoughtfully, and muttered to himself, "There's another person? The Celestial Master's Mansion of Longhu Mountain? The Slowing Talisman—ordinary people can't make it!"
"To be able to slow me down by 30%, I wonder which generation of Zhang Tianshi has arrived?"
The way he said this was surprisingly serious, which surprised Jiang Bai and the others.
It should be noted that this self-proclaimed Martial King, Nangong Xinghuo, had been quite disdainful when facing Jiang Bai and the other two experts, constantly talking about killing them all. But now, because of a talisman, he actually said such a thing.
How could Jiang Bai not be surprised?
"Zhang Mengmeng, the candidate for the 66th Celestial Master of Longhu Mountain, greets Senior. Senior, please leave, otherwise the Five Thunder Heart-Righting Talisman in my hand will not be so polite to you!"
Zhang Mengmeng appeared behind Jiang Bai and the others without them noticing. They had no idea what methods this little girl had used to appear behind them so silently.
Jiang Bai was certain that Zhang Mengmeng had not appeared when he made his move, yet she appeared without anyone noticing.
I really don't know how she did it.
"A candidate for Celestial Master? What a young girl! It's quite surprising that you have such cultivation at your age! But do you think you can stop me? Leave here, little girl from the Zhang family. I don't want to provoke your Longhu Mountain, but you'd better not interfere in the affairs of my Nangong family."
"This matter is a private affair between them and my Nangong family. Your Celestial Master's Mansion had better not interfere!"
Unaware of what Longhu Mountain held, Nangong Xinghuo was unwilling to provoke them.
It should be noted that Nangong Xinghuo's strength has already surpassed the ranks of top-tier masters. Jiang Bai is certain that he has reached the level of an ancient martial arts cultivator that Li Yaoji mentioned.
The fact that such a person still had reservations about the Celestial Master's Mansion shows just how powerful the Celestial Master's Mansion was.
"I'm sorry, but I can't leave because of my duty!" Zhang Mengmeng refused to back down, and the talisman in her hand spontaneously combusted.
With a deafening roar, a massive bolt of lightning descended from the sky, striking directly at Nangong Xinghuo.
It was incredibly fast. Nangong Xinghuo dodged, but his arm was still struck, crackling with electricity and charred black.
"Damn it! Since you're courting death, don't blame me!" Nangong Xinghuo shouted angrily.
"Vermilion Bird Burning Heaven Technique!" Nangong Xinghuo shouted, and a huge Vermilion Bird appeared, burning with raging flames. It came out of nowhere, burning everything around it, and rushed straight towards him.
In the center of the Vermilion Bird's body, which was engulfed in flames, was a huge fist heading straight for Zhang Mengmeng.
"The day is clear and the earth is sacred; we burn incense to pay homage to Zhang Tianshi, the two marshals Kang and Zhao, who command a million soldiers..."
Zhang Mengmeng remained silent, and as she wrote out the entire talisman, her hand gestures changed constantly. The yellow talisman burned, and a spell was uttered, causing Nangong Xinghuo's expression to change.
"Zhang Tianshi's curse? This thing can't save you!" Nangong Xinghuo shouted.
Without holding back, he charged out. Jiang Bai didn't dare let Zhang Mengmeng take the hit head-on, so he charged out alone and exchanged punches with the opponent. Unfortunately, he was knocked back as soon as they made contact.
His strength was even slightly greater than Yang Wudi's, making him extremely formidable. The Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill was primarily based on strength, so he was only knocked away without serious injury. If it were someone else, that hand would have been crippled.
"Attack!" Lieyang and Roushui shouted, stepping forward to block the attack.
Unfortunately, although they were both SSS-level ability users, Nangong Xinghuo was still no match for a Martial King who was an ancient martial arts cultivator. They were quickly defeated and landed with serious injuries, coughing up blood.
This is only if Nangong Xinghuo's main target is Zhang Mengmeng, not them. If the main target were the two of them, with their fragile and old bodies and frail limbs, they would be killed by Nangong Xinghuo in no time.
With a deafening roar, a huge phantom image of a celestial master appeared behind Zhang Mengmeng just before Nangong Xinghuo's fist was about to strike. The old man, with white hair and beard, dressed in a Taoist robe, appeared out of thin air.
It collided with Nangong Xinghuo's fist, producing a huge explosion.
As the light faded, Zhang Mengmeng was sent flying, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. However, she was unharmed, likely only suffering from the impact. It seemed that Nangong Xinghuo himself hadn't hurt her; otherwise, Zhang Mengmeng would have been reduced to ashes by now.
"Hmph, a bunch of good-for-nothings!" Nangong Xinghuo said disdainfully from where he stood.
He then glanced at Jiang Bai and Zhang Mengmeng and said coldly, "I'll give you two a chance. That little girl from the Celestial Master's Mansion, leave immediately. As for you, young man, if you don't want to die, immediately swear a poisonous oath to join my Nangong family and change your surname to Nangong from now on. I might spare your life."
His words clearly showed that he valued Jiang Bai and Zhang Mengmeng. However, since Zhang Mengmeng was backed by the Celestial Master's Mansion of Longhu Mountain, he knew it was impossible to keep her there, so he turned his attention to Jiang Bai.
Although Jiang Bai attacked Nangong Qinglong, Jiang Bai's cultivation level at his age was astounding, especially considering that he was only slightly at a disadvantage when fighting him just now. This made Nangong Xinghuo value him highly, and he even wanted to take Jiang Bai into the Nangong family and have Jiang Bai change his surname to Nangong.
"Dream on!" Jiang Bai replied dismissively, but his expression remained serious, showing no sign of relaxation.
At this moment, he felt a slight regret for his previous actions.
That was too reckless. They thought they were enough to deal with Nangong Xinghuo, but now it seems that it's far from simple. This guy is much more troublesome than Li Yaoji, whom Jiang Bai encountered before.
At the same time, Jiang Bai also truly realized why Li Yaoji said that ancient martial arts practitioners were powerful, and why Yang Wudi and the Nangong family head both highly praised ancient martial arts practitioners, as if Nangong Xinghuo was simply invincible in the human world!