Liaozhai: Immortality Begins with Becoming Yan Chixia's Apprentice

Chapter 40 Black Wind Demon Stronghold

The frequent activities of the Black Mountain forces made Zhou Ning uneasy.

He understood that passive defense was not a long-term solution.

Instead of waiting for the people from Montenegro to come to us, we should take the initiative and find out their background.

"Master, I wish to investigate Black Mountain's stronghold near Baihe Village."

Zhou Ning reported this to Yan Chixia.

Yan Chixia was silent for a moment, then said, "Are you sure?"

Zhou Ning nodded:

"The people of Heishan have attacked us time and time again. If we don't figure out their true nature, the people of Baihe Village will never have a peaceful day."

Yan Chixia glanced at him, took out a jade talisman from her sleeve, and handed it to him:

"This is an invisibility talisman that will temporarily conceal your presence. Once you've applied it, ordinary Black Mountain henchmen won't be able to detect you. But remember, it only lasts for one hour. After that, the talisman will lose its effect."

Zhou Ning accepted the jade talisman and solemnly said, "Thank you, Master."

"And another," Yan Chixia added.

"Black Wind Stronghold is an outer outpost of Black Mountain, guarded by a Foundation Establishment stage demon general. You are only to scout, do not attack. If you are discovered, flee immediately, do not linger in battle."

Zhou Ning nodded: "This disciple understands."

The next morning, before dawn, Zhou Ning left Lanruo Temple.

Black Wind Village is located in the mountains northwest of Baihe Village. It is an abandoned mountain village.

It is said that it was a bandit stronghold in its early years, and was later occupied by the people of Heishan and transformed into their stronghold.

Zhou Ning stealthily made his way along the mountain path.

When we arrived at Black Wind Village, it was already broad daylight.

He found a secluded high ground and observed from a distance.

Black Wind Village is built against the mountain, with towering walls and tightly closed gates.

Several men in black robes patrolled back and forth on the stockade wall, carrying black flags embroidered with ferocious ghost heads.

Zhou Ning took out an invisibility talisman from his bag and stuck it to his chest.

The talisman glowed with a faint light, and his figure gradually blurred, as if merging into the air.

He took a deep breath and quietly approached the stockade wall.

The invisibility talisman worked very well; the patrolling men in black robes were completely unaware of it.

Using the shadow of the corner of the wall, Zhou Ning climbed over the wall and landed inside the village.

The scene in the village made his heart sink.

In the open space in the center, there were several huge iron cages, each containing more than a dozen people.

There were men and women, young and old, all ordinary people.

They were pale, their eyes filled with fear, huddled in their cages, trembling.

Next to the iron cage was a huge altar.

The altar was made of black stone and covered with strange runes.

In the center of the altar was a large cauldron, in which a black liquid was boiling, bubbling with a pungent odor.

Several men in black robes were surrounding the altar, chanting incantations, seemingly performing some kind of ritual.

Zhou Ning clenched his fists, his heart burning with rage.

These people from the Black Mountain are actually using humans as sacrifices.

He suppressed the urge to rush out and continued his investigation.

Deep within the village, there was a stone house with its door tightly shut, and two men in black robes stood at the entrance.

Judging from their demeanor, they must be minor leaders here.

Zhou Ning quietly approached the stone house and peered inside through a crack in the window.

Inside the stone house, a burly man with a ferocious face sat in a chair, toying with a black token in his hand.

He exuded a dense, chilling aura, stronger than any of the black-robed figures they had encountered before.

Is this the Foundation Establishment stage demon general that Master mentioned?

Zhou Ning felt a chill run down his spine and, not daring to linger, quietly retreated.

Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly heard the demon general's voice coming from inside the stone house.

"Are the offerings ready?"

"Reporting to Your Excellency, everything is ready," a man in black robes replied respectfully.

"The blood sacrifice can begin at midnight tonight."

The demon general nodded:

"Very good. After this blood sacrifice, your cultivation will break through the bottleneck. At that time, that old bastard Yan Chixia will be nothing to fear."

Zhou Ning's heart sank.

Who is the "adult" they are talking about?

Is it the Black Mountain Demon?

Just as he was about to continue listening, he suddenly felt a burning sensation in his chest.

The invisibility charm's duration is almost up.

Zhou Ning dared not stay any longer, and quietly left the village, climbing over the wall to escape.

Once back in a safe place, the invisibility talisman's light completely dissipated, and his figure reappeared.

Zhou Ning let out a long breath and quickened his pace, returning to Lanruo Temple.

It was already afternoon when we returned to the temple.

Yan Chixia was meditating in the main hall when he heard footsteps and opened his eyes.

"What did you find out?"

Zhou Ning gave a detailed report on the situation at Black Wind Stronghold.

Yan Chixia frowned upon hearing the words "Foundation Establishment Stage Demon General" and "Blood Sacrifice".

"Foundation Establishment stage... It seems Black Mountain is determined to take Baihe Village."

He stood up and continued pacing with his hands behind his back:

"That demon general's cultivation level is comparable to yours. However, his combat experience far surpasses yours. If you were to fight him head-on, your chances of winning would be slim."

Zhou Ning said, "This disciple understands. But we cannot ignore those people who are locked in cages."

Yan Chixia glanced at him: "You want to go save people?"

Zhou Ning nodded: "This disciple would like to give it a try."

Yan Chixia was silent for a moment, then said:

"Since you've made up your mind, I won't stop you. But remember, saving lives isn't about sending people to their deaths. If things become unbearable, retreat immediately."

He took out a pill from his sleeve and handed it to Zhou Ning:

"This is a 'Qi Explosion Pill.' Taking it will temporarily increase your Qi strength, but you will be weak for three days afterward. Don't use it unless absolutely necessary."

Zhou Ning accepted the pill and solemnly said, "This disciple understands."

He then took out the invisibility talisman from his bag.

The talisman paper had become dull and unusable.

"Master, invisibility talisman..."

Yan Chixia said, "I'll give you one more. But remember, this is the last time. Once it's used up, there won't be any more."

He took out a new invisibility talisman and handed it to Zhou Ning.

Zhou Ning accepted the talisman and bowed respectfully, saying, "Thank you, Master."

Night falls.

Zhou Ning returned to Black Wind Village.

This time, he didn't rush in. Instead, he found a high place outside the village and carefully observed the situation inside.

The patrols on the stockade walls were even more frequent than during the day.

Every fifteen minutes, a group of men in black robes would pass by.

A dozen or so oil lamps were lit around the altar, making it brightly lit.

Zhou Ning affixed an invisibility talisman and quietly sneaked into the village.

He first went to the iron cage where the people were imprisoned.

There were more people in the cages than during the day, more than twenty in total.

They huddled together, their faces pale, their eyes filled with despair.

Zhou Ning gritted his teeth, pulled out a "lock-breaking talisman" from his waist, and stuck it on the lock of the iron cage.

"Snap!"

The lock opened with a click.

The people inside the cages stared in surprise as the cage doors opened, but they couldn't see anyone.

Zhou Ning lowered his voice and said, "Don't make a sound, come with me."

Although the people were terrified, their survival instincts made them obediently follow behind Zhou Ning, quietly moving towards the village gate.

"Who is it?"

A man in black robes noticed something amiss and shouted sharply.

Zhou Ning knew he could no longer hide, so he tore off the invisibility talisman, drew his Qingfeng sword, and stood in front of the people.

"Hurry, run down the mountain!"

The people panicked and fled in all directions.

The people in black robes swarmed around, numbering more than a dozen.