Chapter 302: Chapter 302: Not Playing by the Rules
"How is it?"
"It should have started. I can hardly imagine that Ghost King would let those two go after failing to find us."
"However, without the Copper Mirror, that Ghost King suffered a backlash, and its power has also been weakened. They might be able to resist for a while longer, giving us some time."
Lu Zheng and Yan Hongxia had already arrived on the official road, swiftly moving under the cover of night.
As Lu Zheng walked, he played with the Copper Mirror he had snatched from the Ghost King.
This Copper Mirror was roughly eight inches in diameter, oval-shaped, with an oval mirror in the center, smooth as if washed, surrounded by copper patterns with carvings of natural phenomena like wind, clouds, thunder, and rain.
Flipping it over, on the back was a "Hundred Ghosts Pilgrimage Painting," with Yakshas, Asuras, Evil Ghosts, Zombies, and so on. At the center of the image was a skeletal figure cloaked with a cape.
"Tut-tut, just looking at it, it’s not a good thing."
"Appearance stems from spells, treasures are shaped by intent. If you refine it again, these external manifestations will change accordingly," Yan Hongxia said.
Lu Zheng nodded, indicating his understanding.
Magical treasures are different from ordinary items. The decorations on them aren’t carved by skill but naturally influenced by the caster through refining.
For example, Lu Zheng’s White Jade Folding Fan.
When it was in the hands of that Centennial Ghost General under Ye Lan King, the patterns on it were ferocious ghosts and volcanic hellfire. Later, after Shen Ying refined it and gave it to him, the patterns turned into leisurely white clouds.
This Copper Mirror is naturally the same. Once Lu Zheng purifies the Treasure Mirror, it might also become a Mystic Sect magical treasure.
But for now...
Lu Zheng’s hands didn’t stop, he had already imprinted a third Cloud Sealing Curse on the Copper Mirror.
"Is it necessary?" Yan Hongxia said.
"Who knows?" Lu Zheng shrugged, "What if it could sense us? We can’t let it know what we’re up to."
As they spoke, they looked up, and the city walls of Huizhou Prefecture appeared ahead.
They naturally came to find the Huizhou Anomaly Suppression Bureau.
Two Abnormal People from the Southern Border and a Ghost King who sneaked out from the Netherworld; if the Anomaly Suppression Bureau didn’t deal with them, were they supposed to handle it alone?
Especially since there was a Ghost King who had lost a magical treasure and was intent on finding Lu Zheng.
There’s a saying against guarding against a thousand days of thieves, better to attack proactively; since Lu Zheng didn’t have the complete assurance to eliminate this Ghost King, he naturally had to call for help.
He had a good relationship with the Jinhua Sect. If he went up Jinhua Mountain to seek help, he’d surely find it.
But this matter had nothing to do with the Jinhua Sect; asking for help meant using personal favors, which shouldn’t be used lightly. It was unnecessary.
Besides, those two Abnormal People from the Southern Border were harming people by absorbing yin and yang energy in the Great Jing Dynasty. They weren’t asking for favors; they were delivering achievements to people.
Not to mention there’s a Ghost King who smuggled himself from the Netherworld to the mortal world!
Moreover, the specific location and situation had already been thoroughly investigated!
So Lu Zheng had an Earth Puppet stay at the scene to babble with them, unafraid of their pursuit, and mentioned the distant Cloud Ascending Mountain and White Cloud Temple to cause a misconception.
Making it seem as if the two of them were only capable of fleeing, waiting to be found, with no intention or strength to counterattack.
Since they were all people from sects, and Yan Hongxia had pursued them for three days, the power of the Anomaly Suppression Bureau was unconsciously and deliberately overlooked under Lu Zheng’s deliberate misguidance.
In reality, the Anomaly Suppression Bureau was a very powerful force. In every state, there was almost always at least one expert with over five hundred years of Dao practice holding the fort. Just with experts of this level alone, it surpassed almost any sect in the world.
...
The reputation of White Cloud Temple and Cloud Ascending Mountain was well-known. After hearing the accounts from the two, the Governor of the Huizhou Anomaly Suppression Bureau became inspired by their words and personally took action, flying off directly.
Startling Lu Zheng, who hurriedly returned with a few others from the Anomaly Suppression Bureau.
"Why are you in such a rush?" Yan Hongxia asked in confusion.
The other three experts from the Anomaly Suppression Bureau were also curious, thinking how nice it would be to clean up the aftermath after the big boss cleared the area, easy and enjoyable!
Lu Zheng explained, "That Ghost King wants to kill me, settle the score, so I want to personally deal with him!"
Of course, Lu Zheng was bluffing; he feared arriving late, too far for the Jade Seal to collect the Light of Fortune.
This pair and the Ghost King should at least provide about two hundred or so Light of Fortune!
Even if the Ghost King suffered a major fortune loss due to losing the Treasure Mirror, combined with those two Southern Border Abnormal People, a hundred and fifty at least should be expected!
It’s all money! How could he not be in a hurry?
...
"Boom!"
A thunderous roar on a clear night, ringing out of nowhere!
"They’re fighting!" one expert from the Anomaly Suppression Bureau said.
"Thunder Technique?" Lu Zheng exclaimed, "Is Lord Huang skilled in Thunder Technique?"
"Lord Huang unintentionally inherited from Fengyang Mountain, and after returning the inheritance to the Fengyang Mountain sect, he acquired a Thunder Technique. After years of dedicated practice, he became both the Governor of the Huizhou Anomaly Suppression Bureau and an Outer Disciple of Fengyang Mountain," the person explained.
Yan Hongxia was full of admiration while Lu Zheng’s heart was sinking.
Thunder Technique! The most powerful of spells! And wielded by an expert with over five hundred years of Dao practice, even if that Ghost King and the two Southern Border individuals were there, they might not withstand a few moves!
Indeed...
When Lu Zheng and his group arrived, the battle was over.
The formation array set up in the forest using the terrain had been dismantled, Ghost House Manor vanished without a trace, and all ghostly figures, including the Ghost King, had no remaining aura. Only that pair, whose cultivation had been destroyed, lay slumped on the ground, already losing the elegance they displayed at the tavern during the day.
"These two still aren’t dead?" Lu Zheng asked curiously, "Is that Ghost King dead?"
Hearing Lu Zheng’s voice, the pair lifted their heads. This time, the man’s eyes were filled with genuine hatred, while the woman looked at Lu Zheng with a pitiful gaze.
They never dreamed that Lu Zheng would notify the Anomaly Suppression Bureau...
Or rather, ever since encountering Lu Zheng, things hadn’t gone as planned.
The plan was to shake off Yan Hongxia in Jueshui County, but Lu Zheng suddenly showed up, and then they couldn’t shake off Yan Hongxia. Then they entered the Ghost Manor together, got tricked by him, then engaged in a life-and-death struggle with a Ghost King, and the Anomaly Suppression Bureau suddenly appeared, leading to this outcome...
It’s all Lu Zheng’s fault!
But everyone ignored them, and hearing Lu Zheng’s question, Governor Huang Kun explained, "The Ghost King was struck to death by a bolt of thunder from me. This pair still has their uses, and I plan to ask about some affairs in the Southern Border."
"Buzz!"
The Jade Seal gently vibrated, and another fifty-eight strands of Light of Fortune were credited.
Not bad, a small harvest!