Chapter 348: Righteous Path is Actually Quite Fun
The Black Wind Tiger Demon let out a muffled grunt, affected by the collapse of the Night Shadow, causing its fierce offensive to weaken significantly.
Meng Zizhong attempted to counterattack but tried various methods, all of which failed.
The Black Wind Tiger Demon’s close combat skills were exceedingly deep, clearly surpassing Meng Zizhong by a significant margin.
Meng Zizhong’s Golden Core remained dim and had not recovered even in close combat.
After some thought, Meng Zizhong landed a heavy hammer blow, temporarily forcing the Black Wind Tiger Demon to retreat, then quickly turned and leaped into the ranks of the cultivator army.
Military Tactic—Speed is of the essence!
Military Tactic—Coordination between the head and tail!
Under the two military tactics, the speed of the cultivator army immediately surged, and their coordination improved by more than five times.
The cultivator army had already formed a mobile formation, and now with the surge in speed and coordination, the power of the formation increased seven to eightfold.
The previous battle formation suddenly became equivalent to at least seven formations stacked together.
The formation was like a flood, flowing across the ground and quickly engulfing the Black Wind Tiger Demon.
Meng Zizhong, serving as the main commander of the formation’s core, was now in high spirits, brimming with confidence, as he actively confronted the Black Wind Tiger Demon.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The two resumed their fierce confrontation, but this time the situation completely reversed, with Meng Zizhong firmly taking the upper hand. In terms of strength, offense, and defense, he was now entirely superior to the Black Wind Tiger Demon.
The Black Wind Tiger Demon was at a disadvantage. In a short period, it suffered several wounds, but fortunately, with its “Blood Swallowing Technique” and its beastly body, its recovery ability was excellent, preventing a complete defeat.
However, while it managed to maintain the situation, the other demon cultivators did not fare as well.
The human cultivators launched a massive counterattack, quickly slaughtering the demon cultivators.
“Run, quickly run!”
“We can’t hold them! My lord, take care of yourself!”
“Waaah…”
Some demon cultivators howled in grief, others shouted, and all turned around to flee.
The Black Wind Tiger Demon did not have any military tactics to rely on, nor did it train or discipline its demon cultivators regularly. Though these demon cultivators were individually strong, they were essentially a ragtag bunch fighting their own battles.
They could manage easy victories, but once the tide turned, as it did now, they immediately revealed their weaknesses.
With the demon cultivators in disarray and retreating, the human cultivators did not pursue them. They only followed Meng Zizhong’s orders, grinding down the Black Wind Tiger Demon like a millstone.
The pressure on the Black Wind Tiger Demon multiplied several times!
It roared and fought bloodily.
The clash of Golden Core-level combat was not something ordinary cultivators could withstand. Many were caught in the crossfire and died tragically in the formation.
High above in the clouds.
Zhu Xuanji and the Suspended Magnetic Governor were hiding and observing the battlefield with cold eyes.
Seeing this, Zhu Xuanji snorted coldly, clearly displeased. "What a cunning Meng Zizhong, deliberately preserving the Meng family's core while only expending ordinary cultivators to prepare for replenishing his army in the future."
On the mid-level of Fog Hidden Mountain.
Ning Zhuo and the others did not possess Zhu Xuanji's sharp vision to see Meng Zizhong's little schemes.
Even so, Ning Zhuo was secretly thrilled.
Leading troops was one of the many arts in cultivation, closely related to governing.
Ning Zhuo had learned of military tactics from books and records and knew of many classic strategies. Today, witnessing them firsthand aligned with his knowledge, offering new insights.
“Black Wind Tiger Demon, you’ve been wreaking havoc for years. Today, I, Meng Zizhong, will slay you for the people and the country!” Meng Zizhong roared with great momentum, his voice booming like thunder, forcing the Black Wind Tiger Demon to keep its head down.
Sun Lingtong, observing with his Celestial Talent, finally saw through the Black Wind Tiger Demon’s weakness as it became extremely feeble. “This black tiger is finished, its internal power is nearly exhausted, and it can no longer sustain itself.”
“It’s time for us to make our move!” Sun Lingtong reminded.
The Fox God was slightly startled.
Ning Zhuo nodded slightly, smiling as he looked toward the Fox God. “Fox God, heed my command. Quickly use your means to assist the Black Wind Tiger Demon in returning to the mountain.”
The Fox God was shocked, her face turning a bit pale. “You want me to help the Black Wind Tiger Demon?”
Ning Zhuo snorted coldly. “The Black Wind Tiger Demon is our prey, and so is Meng Zizhong.”
Hearing this, the Fox God’s heart trembled, her lips parted slightly in hesitation.
If she acted, she would undoubtedly offend Meng Zizhong greatly. She didn’t care much about Meng Zizhong alone, but the problem was the entire Meng family.
Ning Zhuo’s gaze turned icy. “Fox God, you’ve already accepted the imperial decree. Are you still hesitating? Don’t ruin yourself!”
The Fox God felt a chilling coldness inside. She realized that she had already been caught in the political struggle between the Zhu family and the Meng family.
Even as a Golden Core-level existence on Fog Hidden Mountain, she did not dare get involved in such a fierce confrontation. A little bad luck, and she could end up as a sacrificial pawn, ground to dust between the two powers.
But as Ning Zhuo said, did she still have a way out?
None!
If she didn’t act now, she might end up worse off than the Black Wind Tiger Demon.
Celestial Talent—Cloud Concealing Mist.
The Fox God gritted her teeth, her face full of gloom, and finally made her move.
In an instant, mountain fog arose, shrouding all of Fog Hidden Mountain and quickly spreading to cover the battlefield.
Thick mist surged, enveloping the Black Wind Tiger Demon and pulling it out of the battle formation.
Meng Zizhong had thought of stopping it, but the Black Wind Tiger Demon fought with all its might, entangling him tightly, leaving him no room to focus elsewhere.
Though the Foundation Establishment cultivators had the support of the battle formation, their methods were limited, and they couldn’t resist the rolling mist.
The Fox God succeeded effortlessly.
The Black Wind Tiger Demon was rescued, slipping into Fog Hidden Mountain while shouting, “Fox God, thank you for saving me. I will repay this life-saving grace!”
At that moment, Meng Zizhong controlled the battle formation, blowing away the mist before him. He gazed at the towering Fog Hidden Mountain and angrily shouted, “Fox God, you are a disgrace to the title of righteous god conferred by the Southern Kingdom, helping a demon!”
The Fox God snorted coldly, resigning herself to the situation. Without needing Ning Zhuo’s order, she used the mountain mist again, sweeping many human cultivators into Fog Hidden Mountain.
“General, save me!”
“Ahhh…”
The human cultivators descended into chaos. Separated from the battle formation, their strength returned to its former state, and many were killed by the demon cultivators who had fled into the mountain.
Many also found themselves trapped in desperate fights, with no one to save them, destined to lose their lives.
Meng Zizhong, seeing the mountain god rescue the Black Wind Tiger Demon, already had the thought of retreating.
But with the situation as it was, he found no way to withdraw.
If he abandoned his troops and left alone, he would undoubtedly be accused of desertion. Not only would his reputation be ruined, but he would also face severe punishment from the authorities, and his position as commander of Yugang Town would be lost for sure.
This would greatly damage the Meng family’s interests in the area.
As for Meng Zizhong’s personal feelings, he didn’t want to abandon his subordinates, especially the many Meng family members among them. He had been diligent in training them, spending countless time and effort with them daily, forming deep bonds.
There was a saying: Don’t chase a cornered enemy. Meng Zizhong understood this principle well.
But he had no choice, so he wielded his long-handled battle hammer and charged into Fog Hidden Mountain.
To his surprise, after entering the mountain, he was not intercepted by the Fox God and instead smoothly pursued the Black Wind Tiger Demon into a valley on the western side of the mountain, confronting it once again.
The Black Wind Tiger Demon, having gained time to catch its breath, had recovered much of its strength.
It clashed with Meng Zizhong once more.
Without the support of the battle formation, Meng Zizhong no longer had the same imposing presence. But the Black Wind Tiger Demon was also quite exhausted, and the two fought to a draw.
The feeling of exhaustion grew stronger, and finally, the Black Wind Tiger Demon revealed its last trump card.
A divine seal was thrown out, floating above its head.
With the divine seal’s power, the Black Wind Tiger Demon’s strength surged, forcing Meng Zizhong
to retreat continuously.
Previously, on the battlefield outside the mountain, this divine seal had been useless. But now, within Fog Hidden Mountain, with the Black Wind Tiger Demon’s bloodline connection, it could draw upon a portion of the divine seal’s power, completely gaining the upper hand.
“Defeated!” Meng Zizhong realized the situation was beyond recovery and had no choice but to drag his battle hammer and flee toward the mountain’s exit.
The Black Wind Tiger Demon pursued relentlessly and, after catching up with Meng Zizhong, severely injured him.
Meng Zizhong collapsed to the ground but did not panic. The distance was sufficient, so he decisively ignited an Escape Talisman, teleporting outside the mountain.
The Black Wind Tiger Demon dared not chase him outside.
The divine seal was powerless beyond the mountain.
Just as it was about to turn and vent its frustration by slaughtering the human cultivators trapped within the mountain, Zhu Xuanji descended from the sky.
The Divine Detective of the Southern Dou Kingdom pressed down with a single finger, directly shattering the Black Wind Tiger Demon’s skull.
The Black Wind Tiger Demon struggled to resist, but the divine seal was ineffective, and its own strength was nearly depleted, leaving it too weak to withstand Zhu Xuanji’s immense power.
Splat.
The Black Wind Tiger Demon’s head was crushed.
The headless corpse swayed a few times before collapsing to the ground, motionless.
It was dead.
Meng Zizhong, who had been preparing to flee, saw this scene and was filled with surprise and joy.
He recognized Zhu Xuanji and shouted, “Divine Detective Zhu!”
But Zhu Xuanji did not give him a friendly look, his gaze cold and scrutinizing. “Meng Zizhong, you led the army without permission, fought incompetently, caused heavy casualties among the garrison at Yugang Mountain, and fled in defeat, showing no dignity as a general of the Southern Dou Kingdom!”
“Do you admit your guilt?”
Meng Zizhong’s expression turned ugly. His mouth opened, his throat quivering as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he only lowered his head and replied gloomily, “I admit my guilt.”
Ning Zhuo looked toward the Fox God. “What are you waiting for?”
The Fox God transformed into mountain mist and disappeared. In the next breath, she appeared before Zhu Xuanji.
She bowed deeply and voluntarily pleaded guilty.
Zhu Xuanji, with a stern expression, berated her harshly before finally letting her go.
Next, the Fox God personally assisted in collecting the remaining human soldiers trapped in the mountain.
Zhu Xuanji took Meng Zizhong as a prisoner and led the surviving garrison back to Yugang Mountain to take control of the situation.
The crime of raising bandits for self-preservation was too serious, and it could easily trigger a full-scale confrontation between the Zhu and Meng families. However, Meng Zizhong’s defeat and flight this time were enough of a crime to remove him from his post as commander of Yugang Mountain.
Ning Zhuo and Sun Lingtong met privately to divide the spoils according to their previous agreement.
Since Ning Zhuo had handled the negotiations with the Fox God, gaining some benefits, he only took a small share of the final spoils.
In the end, Ning Zhuo acquired many body parts of the slain demon cultivators, including a set of tiger bones from the Black Wind Tiger Demon, which were at the Golden Core level.
Aside from that, there were the profits from the output of Yugang Mountain.
He wrote a letter and, through royal channels, sent it back to Ning Jiufan, explaining the situation and temporarily arranging for Ning Youfu to serve as the representative at Yugang Mountain.
This former family elder, though quite old, was experienced and steady, making him a suitable candidate for an external posting.
With this, the struggle surrounding Fog Hidden Mountain finally came to an end.
Sun and Ning rode the Wanli Dragon, continuing their journey.
In the dragon’s head cabin, Sun Lingtong, the more he thought about it, the more satisfied he felt. Looking at Ning Zhuo, his eyes gleamed. “The Righteous Path is actually quite fun.”
“We reaped the greatest rewards while putting in the least effort. If this kind of good fortune comes again, I won’t mind having more!”
(End of Chapter)