The moon hides and the sun rises; black and white alternate. Birdsong awakens the earth, and the fragrance of flowers ushers in dawn.
Outside the Ghost Forest, precisely at the center of a massive pit left ten years ago, a naked young man lies motionless amidst the wild grass, not moving a muscle.
A gentle morning breeze suddenly swirls into a vortex. A strange bird flies out from within the Ghost Forest, circles once, and easily spots its meal. In an instant, its beak quivers, elongating by a foot, gleaming with cold light. Like a shooting star, the monstrous bird dives toward its prey.
“Bang!” The half-demon bird’s sharp beak pierces into the human body—but suddenly, a red glow erupts from the meal itself, blasting the bird away. Before it can even fall back into the Ghost Forest, the flying creature is already torn into pieces!
“Ouch…” Intense pain stirs the naked man awake. The moment his eyes flutter open, the bloodstains on his chest mysteriously seep back into his wound as if alive. As the bare man slowly sits up, dazed and groggy, the deep, long gash has already vanished, leaving not even a red mark on his smooth skin.
“What the hell… Where am I?! Why am I sleeping outdoors?! Yaa—where’s my clothes?!”
The naked man is none other than Qiao San, who was thought dead. The fellow who fell into the abyss not only remains physically intact but also has a perfectly normal head. Yet, just like ten years ago, he remembers nothing of what happened after entering the Ghost Forest last night—except for a vague recollection of a passionate, fiery dream!
“Damn it, this must be some prank! Who’s this bored? Could it be those idiot bosses again?!” Scenes from the City God Temple election flood his mind. With a self-mocking grin, the rascal smirks, stands up, and is ready to go find someone to settle the score!
“Slap—” Something drops from Qiao San, making him instinctively look down. Alongside a tattered book, he notices his own nakedness. Though he’s in the wilderness, instinctive shame and habit immediately send him crouching back into the bushes.
“What the heck is this thing?!” Carelessly picking up the yellowed, worn-out book, Qiao flips through it absentmindedly. Yet, despite his hidden identity as a scholar—Qiao Sheng—he shockingly finds himself unable to recognize even a single character!
Damn it! Total nonsense! Not even good enough to wipe my ass with! Bang!
Offended in his pride, the man hurls the book away without a second thought. But a moment later, his attitude suddenly shifts completely, and he rushes back toward the poor, battered volume.
“Haha… Haha…” Moments later, the bold Qiao lets out a loud laugh. The rogue finally straightens his back, speaking to himself with smug satisfaction. “No problem can stop me, Bold Qiao San! Heh heh…”
A few vines wrap around his waist, binding together wild grass and pages from the book, effectively covering Qiao San’s private parts.
It turns out he tore the book apart page by page, fashioning an ultra-modern, ultra-mini grass skirt. Hehe…
The primitive-looking man sneaks toward town, his sly, triumphant laughter drifting across the plains. The wind carries it into the Ghost Forest, startling the eastern gate of the area, which had just begun to calm down.
※※※※※※※※
“Bold Qiao San is back—he’s returned safely from the Ghost Forest!”
The astonishing news spreads like wildfire. Within a day, the entire Hundred-Mile area around Liumang Town knows of it.
“The legend of the Ghost Forest has been broken! Someone actually walked out alive! A miracle! A miracle!”
Within three days, the entire Aolai Kingdom is in an uproar. Few know who Qiao San really is, but the name “Bold Qiao San” becomes legendary across the land. From an unknown day onward, the official road leading into Liumang Town sees a surge of heroes, beauties, and grand carriages.
Far away in the capital of Aolai Kingdom, thousands of miles from Liumang Town, the emperor, far from idolizing Bold Qiao San’s rogue tale, sits with a pale face and long beard, frowning deeply in his private study, where a suffocating aura of imperial authority fills the air.
“My lords,” the aged monarch addresses his ministers, “the chaos in Liumang Town grows worse by the day. Even the capital is now rife with rumors. What is your opinion? How should we handle this?”
To his left and right stand the two prime ministers. The plump, slightly overweight left minister bows respectfully and replies, “Your Majesty, in my humble opinion, this is nothing more than the antics of a few ruffians. Nothing to be taken seriously. We should simply ignore it.”
Before he finishes, the tall, thin right minister steps forward. “Your Majesty, this matter must not be taken lightly. Liumang Town alone is home to thousands of hooligans. Now that this commotion has stirred them up, their momentum is growing. If we don’t act swiftly to prevent it, someone with ill intent may exploit the situation, leading to great unrest!”
“Hmm. The right minister is correct. It’s time to bring order back. My lords, do you have any suitable candidates to recommend? I don’t wish to provoke public unrest with heavy-handed measures. Besides, this matter seems to involve spirits and gods. Should we consult the National Taoist Master?”
“Your Majesty,” the right minister replies, “there’s no need to trouble the National Taoist Master. I humbly recommend Beigong Ping, a renowned investigator from the famed demon-hunting Beigong family. He is known for his hatred of evil, his supernatural ability in solving cases, and he wields a family heirloom demon-slaying sword. He is widely known among the people as the ‘Yin-Yang Divine Hunter.’ He is the perfect choice.”
Before the left minister can object, the old king nods. “Very well. Summon Beigong Ping to the palace immediately!”
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In the Nine幽Palace, the realm of the underworld.
“Reporting to the Ten Thousand Demon King, the Ten-Sun Pearl has been destroyed by the Heavens!” A one-horned demon lord recounts the details. In his telling, the act of framing the Fox Queen becomes a reluctant necessity. He sighs helplessly at the end: “Unfortunately, we failed to capture the Ghost Princess who absorbed the Ten-Sun Qi. However, I have ordered the ghost clan to search relentlessly. I believe good news will arrive within a few days.”
“No need. Capturing a minor ghost will bring little benefit.” From within the black mist, the voice of the Ten Thousand Demon King emerges, neither joyful nor angry, echoing directly into the minds of the assembled demons.
“Since the Heavens destroyed my Ten-Sun Pearl, we must ensure the Heavens cannot recover the ‘Heavenly Dao Eternal Sutra’ either! Peng Demon King, you and Yu Fan will be in charge this time. Use any means necessary—destroy the Sutra at all costs!”
The tension between the heavens and the underworld remains heavy and ominous, but now the storm’s focus shifts quietly.
The whereabouts of the “Earth Treatise” and the “Ghost Sutra” remain unknown, but the path of the “Heavenly Law” is clear!
“Honghuang Purple Mansion Mountain, Taiyuan Jade Maiden, the ‘Heavenly Dao True Sutra’!”
The most fearsome demon in the underworld lifts its bird-like head, murmuring the words to itself. Then, a killing intent so immense it shakes the heavens spreads across the hidden realms!
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