Chapter 317: Eradication
With Li Yaofeng and Bai Shihe gone, peace seemed to have returned to the Ba Manor City. In reality, however, undercurrents of unrest still lurked beneath its tranquil facade.
Many important figures from the Cao, Miao, Bai, and Luo Clans had died during the martial gathering at Ning Chigong's residence, leaving behind power vacuums that sparked intense conflict.
Outside the city, another massive power vacuum had formed, following the deaths of the Chaotic Heavens King, the Supreme Elder, the Yaksha Wraith, and the five scourges of the Tribulation Religion.
At the same time, the conflict between the Tribulation Religion and the Heavenly Master Religion was growing increasingly intense, while the local authorities constantly had to deal with civil disputes throughout the city.
Furthermore, many residents of the Ba Manor were beginning to move away out of fear of retaliation from the Tribulation Religion.
It was an extremely tumultuous period, and even Ning Chigong had to step in to help the local authorities maintain law and order.
***
One morning, Ning Chigong stormed into Earth Gate Fort in a fit of rage, accompanied by around a dozen servants.
What the hell is Chu Qiguang thinking?! I finally managed to get everything running smoothly again, yet he decided to launch a fiend eradication campaign at a time like this? This is undoubtedly going to provoke retaliation from the fiends, and the Ba Manor will be thrown into chaos all over again!
In Ning Chigong's eyes, it was completely unrealistic to expect the Demon Vanquishing Department to eradicate all the fiends in Shu Province.
The province's vast abundance of mountains and secluded forests provided the perfect habitats for fiends. If the Demon Vanquishing Department or the military wanted to venture into those regions to hunt them, they would have to overcome all kinds of obstacles, such as treacherous terrain, venomous critters, and toxic miasma.
Overall, the risk far outweighed the rewards.
Thus, in Ning Chigong's opinion, the Demon Vanquishing Department's best option was to maintain the status quo.
As long as the Great Han Empire remains standing, the people will continue to reproduce and gradually expand their territory, reclaiming more and more of Shu Province from the fiends. However, that process will take centuries. This idiot, Chu Qiguang, thinks he can simply throw caution to the wind and hunt the fiends without a care in the world! I ought to teach that little bastard a lesson!
Ning Chigong spotted Chen Gang as soon as he entered the training ground, and immediately asked, "Where's Chu Qiguang?"
Chen Gang didn't seem surprised by Ning Chigong's unannounced arrival, and he replied, "Master Chu has gone to the Grave Mountain in the west to hunt fiends."
"What?!"
Ning Chigong's eyes widened in shock.
The Grave Mountain was a barren mountain that contained a mass burial site, and there had always been rumors that it was haunted. As a result, humans had largely abandoned the mountain, turning it into a paradise for fiends.
It had once been one of the Chaotic Heavens King's strongholds. Recently, a new group of fiends had taken over the mountain, filling the power vacuum left behind by the Chaotic Heavens King and his underlings.
Ning Chigong had secretly sent out scouts, and they reported that these fiends had most likely come from the fiend nation in the snowy mountains. They were all skilled in fiendish martial arts and far more formidable than the average fiend.
"How many people did he take with him?" Ning Chigong hurriedly asked. "Why didn't you go?"
"It's just him and Zhang Jitian," Chen Gang replied casually.
Ning Chigong let loose a loud curse before hurrying away with his underlings, hoping to catch with Chu Qiguang.
He couldn't care less if Chu Qiguang got himself killed, but if his reckless crusade provoked the fiends, the Ba Manor would be forced to suffer the consequences.
Ning Chigong had only just left Earth Gate Fort when he ran into Liu Yao.
"What're you doing here?" he asked in surprise.
"You don't know?" Liu Yao asked with a mysterious smile.
"What am I supposed to know?" Ning Chigong asked. "Is Omniscient planning to make a move against Chu Qiguang?"
"Wow, you really don't know anything, do you?" Liu Yao chuckled. "You'll understand in due time."
Ning Chigong had no patience for such cryptic games and stormed away in a huff. However, he had only taken a few steps when he heard Liu Yao let out a forlorn sigh behind him.
"The world isn't as simple as you think, Brother Ning. There are things hiding beneath the surface that are beyond your imagination."
Ning Chigong turned to Liu Yao with a puzzled expression, but the latter refused to elaborate and had already turned to leave.
With no time to waste, Ning Chigong pushed the puzzling interaction out of his mind and set off for the Grave Mountain with renewed urgency.
***
Meanwhile, Chu Qiguang had already arrived at the foot of the Grave Mountain with Zhang Jitian.
After several days of diligent study, Chu Qiguang had elevated his Vajra Laws to the third level. He had also finished reading all the texts in the Daoist temple's scripture library that interested his Ring of Ignorance.
Upon reaching the third level of the Vajra Laws, the countdown for the Sumeru King Scripture had fallen to 987 days 22 hours 34 minutes and 12 seconds. Chu Qiguang could also feel his body taking on more and more superhuman qualities.
All the signs indicated that he was drawing closer to the Dao Comprehension state.
It's about time I pulled the plug in Spirit Province. Before that though, I have to clean up the Ba Manor a little, and the Grave Mountain will be my first stop.
Chu Qiguang planned to establish a base of operations in the Ba Manor. To accomplish that, he first had to eradicate some of the existing forces to eliminate any potential obstacles.
The conflict between the Tribulation Religion and the Heavenly Master Religion had temporarily disrupted his plans. Now that the situation had become relatively peaceful, it was time to resume them.
As Chu Qiguang made his way up the Grave Mountain with Zhang Jitian, he noticed that the surroundings were extremely barren. The soil was dry and cracked, while an eerie, almost unnatural chill permeated the forest.
Zhang Jitian was beginning to feel uneasy. He couldn't help but wonder whether there was any truth to the rumors that the mountain was haunted.
Halfway up the mountain, they came across a dilapidated pergola. An old man with a waxy, yellow complexion sat inside, brewing a pot of tea.
Upon spotting Chu Qiguang and Zhang Jitian, the old man invited them over. "Would you care to join me for a drink?"
Chu Qiguang approached him with a smile and asked, "Are you from a nearby village?"
"You can say that," the old man replied vaguely. "What're you two doing all the way out here?"
"We're here to eradicate some fiends," Chu Qiguang replied.
The old man faltered slightly upon hearing this, then burst into laughter.
"You're here to eradicate fiends? Is that supposed to be a joke?"