Hu Sheng looked at his brother Hu Lei's lifeless body, remaining silent for a long time.
"Yin Shou harmed me" was still echoing in the room, he looked around nervously, Fortunately, his brother was about to practice secret arts in the secret room, so the words he said before death were not heard by outsiders.
"Brother, I'm sorry I couldn't do more. It's really my heart and soul that's lacking."
Hu Sheng, to be honest, does not want to, nor does he dare, seek revenge.
The guardian of Jiamao Pass is officially known as the four greats of Mojia. Looking at their eight-meter-tall bodies, it's clear that they are not suitable for tasks such as building weapons and training soldiers. With four people combined, it's questionable whether their domestic abilities can even reach 40 points.
However, as the favorite general of Wen Taishi, their appointment is not something that ordinary ministers or even King Zhou can easily object to.
The four clumsy individuals are in name the overall commander of Jiameng Pass, while Hu Sheng, as the deputy commander, has to take on the responsibilities of the main commander.
Jiamao Pass is close to the capital city of Zhou, but far from Xīqǐ. No matter how hard he tries, he dares not to rebel.
Although Hu Lei is his own flesh and blood, what's the point of it now? Let it go!
"Cannot let this go by! Father, though I am a woman, I know that King Shang is unjust. I am willing to avenge my uncle." Hu Sheng's daughter, Hu Shi, looked angry and shouted for revenge.
Ordinary people cannot see the fortune, they only know that Hu Lei coughed up blood for half a day, what is this? This is a sign of poisoning.
Hu Sheng was enraged and ordered the maid and the old woman to go together, taking Hu Shi back to the room: "Wretch! Are you going to kill all thirty of us in my family? Go back to your room. You are not allowed to come out without my command!"
Hu Shi, with no strength to fight, was blocked by a group of old women at the door. Not only could she not seek revenge, she couldn't even leave her room now, and she had to vent her anger all alone.
At midnight, she suddenly found that the door was open.
The maid and the old woman at the door were all asleep.
Being as fearless as a new calf, she packed a small bag and left Jiamao Pass under the starry night, heading towards the capital city of Shang.
Who to go see in Changle? She had no idea how to meet the King of Shang, nor did she have any plans.
Passing by a dilapidated mountain shrine, she was both tired and hungry, and the burning blood in her veins faded away. Her heart began to waver. Uncle had been kind to her, but the dead cannot be revived. If her father came looking for her soon, she would just go back with him.
The sound of footsteps echoed, and she turned back quickly.
"Who? Who's there? I see you! Come out quickly!" She took out a short knife and looked around suspiciously.
At this moment, a bloody wind swept through the mountain shrine, and Hu Shi instinctively retreated two steps. Then, she felt dazed and suddenly fainted.
The nine-tailed fox spirit and the nine-headed chicken spirit hid in the shadows and waited for an incense stick's time before searching in different directions—one heading northeast and the other southwest. Good, no Saint's disciples, let alone a Saint!
"Big sister, should this time be okay?" The nine-headed chicken spirit, speaking to the nine-tailed fox spirit, turned left and right, stretched her neck and looked at the mountain shrine several times nervously, as if afraid that another impressive figure would suddenly jump out from behind it.
Initially, the plan of the three demons was for the nine-tailed fox spirit to possess Jia Ji, and for the nine-headed chicken spirit to take over this Hu Shi's body. Now it's not possible, so they have to settle for Plan B.
"Sister, guard my back for me while I come in first to possess the body."
After about a half hour.
Hu Shi stood up, her eyes, which had no focus before, gradually turned into a pair of peach blossom eyes.
She spoke slowly, the voice of the fox spirit blending with that of Hu Shi, creating an extremely eerie sound. Slowly, the two voices merged into one.
"The difference is too great." The nine-tailed fox spirit sighed, "Hu Shi's appearance, figure, and even temperament are far inferior to those of Jia Ji, Deng Chanyao. With this body, it's truly a last resort."
The chicken spirit said: "Sister, you'd better rest for a while. The Saint ordered us to wait here. After everything is ready, we will go to bewitch that Fei Zong."
The fox spirit, just having completed the possession, was extremely tired. At this moment, she could only nod, with very little strength to speak.
Just after leaving the White Deer Island where Dianjun was practicing the array, Dao Ren Duo saw his disciple Huo Lingmǔ urgently riding on a cloud.
As soon as she landed from the cloud, Holy Mother of Fire burst into tears, appealing to him, "Master, my disciple Hu Lei has died and his path is over. Please avenge Hu Lei, Master."
Dao Ren Duo furrowed his brow.
He actually did not know this apprentice, ten years ago, Holy Mother of Fire was traveling around when she saw Hu Lei as a child. She thought that the two were destined to meet and so she took him as a disciple. In truth, this disciple was taken in quite casually, but as the Aixie Sect does not care about lineage or talent, they only care about whether there is a fated connection. If there is such a connection, taking in the disciple is easy.
Now Hu Lei has become an elderly man with a smelly foot, far from the appearance of a child. Holy Mother of Fire hasn't paid much attention to him either; she has passed down some Taoist arts and then let him practice on his own, following the same neglectful approach as the JieJiao Sect.
While Hao Lei was being neglected, he was still a legitimate fourth-generation disciple of the JieJiao Sect.
Such a disciple has died, it is impossible for Dao Ren Duo to have no thoughts. Fortunately, he still remembers the warning from TongTian ZhaoZhu. He immediately scolded Holy Mother of Fire and told her to return to the mountain, close the cave entrance and avoid trouble.
As the name Holy Mother of Fire suggests, this was a woman who was as fiery as fire. Plus, Dao Ren Duo was very indulgent towards this disciple. At this moment, she didn't take her master's words to heart at all and left the island directly for Jiamao Pass.
"Friend, please stop." As she walked halfway, she heard someone calling her name. She turned around in curiosity, and saw an elegant-looking man with a fan, smiling at her.
Holy Mother of Fire was impatient but not a fool. In the early days when Wen Zong was serving in the Shang Dynasty, she often came out to play with her younger brother. However, later on, when Wen Zong transformed into an old man to display his authority, she thought it unattractive and thus stopped coming to visit her younger brother.
Holy Mother of Fire had also undergone some experience in the mortal world.
The middle-aged man in front of her couldn't be seen at all to determine the depth of his cultivation, but she knew that she had encountered a person of great attainment, at least one who was higher than herself, by a very large margin.
"I am Fire Ling, the third-generation disciple of Jiejiao Sect. I have met you, my senior."
The middle-aged man smiled warmly, "I am Bai Ze, a lowly Taoist. I am not a senior at all, just a few years older than you. I cannot compare to your fortune of being in a great sect where you can constantly listen to the teachings of the Sages. You and I can be equals in terms of our friendship."
Holy Mother of Fire still had some insight and said, "However, the Lord of Demons? Holy Mother of Fire is sorry for the impoliteness. My teacher has mentioned your great name many times. I, Holy Mother of Fire, dared not be considered equal to you in terms of friendship."
Bai Ze appeared humble but was actually proud. Dao Ren Duo might have looked up to him a little, but a fire spirit was indeed not something he would look up to. He simply bypassed the topic of seniority: "Young friend, are you heading to Jiamao Pass?"
"Yes."
"I have something to discuss with you, young friend."
Bai Ze spoke eloquently, "My demon race has vowed never to leave the Beihai. Now, those who have gone north are only some mixed-blooded people who can't survive. We don't ask for much. We just want to please the Shang Dynasty and give these poor souls a place to live."
Is this related to me? The quick-tempered Holy Mother of Fire was baffled, her brow furrowed with question marks.
Bai Ze seemed to have missed her impatience and continued to speak in a long-winded manner, "Wen Zhong, one of our disciples from the JieJiao Sect, has different opinions. He doesn't accept the amnesty and wants to drive all the northern lords into the Beihai Sea. I have no other solution. I can only send a nine-tailed fox to seduce the important officials of the King of Shang and look for a way for my posterity to survive."
Holy Mother of Fire endured her temper and finally understood Bai Ze's intention.
Oh, so it's about sending demon creatures to charm the important officials of the Shang Dynasty and then amnesty those descendants of the demon race.
Holy Mother of Fire also wanted to cause trouble in Changle, but her original plan was just to scare them a bit and then take charge herself, scold them a bit, let the King of Shang know that there is a difference between humans and immortals, and that would be enough. She thought Bai Ze's plan was a bit too big.
