"Break!"
The Eight Banner Marshals shouted with a decisive roar, as his spear emitted a dazzling golden light. The dragon's shadow roared fiercely, and Yin-Eater Dharma King, his eyes bulging in anger, hurriedly defended.
On the battlefield, with only a few remaining scattered soldiers left, there came a crisp "crack" sound.
The Morning Glory Dharma King's iron mace, adorned with the Bone Relieving Device, shattered on cue, turning to dust and disappearing.
The spear's momentum did not diminish; as it pierced through the Morning Glory Dharma King's chest, it also tore the body of the Yin-Eater Ghost Woman apart from its main form.
Deprived of the life fire aid from Ghost Woman, the shining totem on Morning Glory Dharma King's chest instantly became dull and lifeless.
"Eight Banner Marshals, you've exhausted Dayong's ten years of fortune; how could the Human Monarch tolerate you? Even if I die today, Dayong will struggle to survive! You, Eight Banner Marshals, are also... a sinner for the ages..."
The Morning Glory Dharma King's eyes dimmed as ghostly fire extinguished; beside him, the Yin-Eater Ghost Woman let out a piercing shriek, completely deranged.
Recklessly abandoning her damaged form, she transformed into a filthy glow of blood, sacrificing her life as she lunged at the Eight Banner Marshals:
"If I die, you can forget about living! Once sharing life and death, today we shall also be bound by fate!"
Facing the blood glow, the Eight Banner Marshals did not resist, aware that this was the same life curse that had once led him to his doom. He hadn't expected that this madwoman had, in the Ancient Yin River Dao, learned a life curse different from that of the living, as a Yin Ghost.
"Ten years of fortune is far better than having the Southern Barbarians annihilate my Dayong, for that would truly be an eternal disgrace."
Just as the Eight Banner Marshals prepared to strip away the fortune dragon, a sudden transformation occurred!
From afar, as the Yin-Eater Ghost Woman offered her body to manipulate the sole remaining life curse bug towards the Eight Banner Marshals, a spherical golden light, weighing no less than two hundred pounds, unexpectedly leapt onto the Eight Banner Marshal's face.
The golden light burst forth, and the hook-like chicken beak instantly pecked the filthy blood glow into pieces!
Along with a woman's shriek, a blood-red curse bug fell out of the shattered blood glow.
The Golden Simurgh extended its beak, lifted its neck, and took a gulp, letting out a satisfied belch.
After consuming the insect, the Golden Simurgh, perched on the Eight Banner Marshal's golden armor, wiped its beak left and right on his helmet.
When it finished wiping, the Golden Chicken jumped to the ground, heading towards Xu Qing without looking back.
The ghost fire flickered in the Eight Banner Marshal's eyes as he watched the young man who was preventing the Golden Chicken from approaching him. He couldn't help but tighten his grip on the spear.
But when the young man lifted his head to look at him, he instinctively loosened his grip.
Since he first met Xu Qing, it had been more than ten years, but never had he felt such fear as today.
Even the Yin-Eater Dharma King hadn't given him such a sense of dread.
Clinging to a final hope, the Eight Banner Marshals slowly approached the young man attending to the battlefield.
"Xu..." The words almost slipped out, but the Eight Banner Marshal paused before continuing, "Lord Xu."
Xu Qing smiled faintly, understanding that from the moment he revealed a part of his strength, their paths had irrevocably diverged.
"The Marshal must have guessed, so why still address me as 'Lord'?"
As Xu Qing's words fell, the Eight Banner Marshal's last bit of hope vanished.
"Can you tell this Marshal, what is your true purpose in getting close to me?"
Xu Qing blinked and said, "Mr. Xu has always been sincere with guests. My purpose has never been hidden from the Marshal, so why question me?"
The Eight Banner Marshal was puzzled.
Xu Qing smiled, "I am a funeral director who vowed to guide the lost corpses to rest. My purpose, at this moment, is simply to let them find peace."
The Eight Banner Marshal followed Xu Qing's gaze, seeing the Straw Spirit Paperman gathering the corpses of the Ghost General, Ghost Soldiers, and the nemesis Yin-Eater Dharma King.
"How could... you... this..." The Eight Banner Marshal was utterly baffled.
Xu Qing continued, "Everyone has their ambitions. Yours is for your Dayong; mine is for those spirits and the safety of Jin Sect."
"For example, I killed the Celestial Heart Sect and the Cangyi Group because they threatened my peaceful life in Jin Sect, not for the Marshal's Dayong."
The Eight Banner Marshal was still unwilling to give up, "Wasn't my Dayong so powerful back then? Now it's just corrupt ministers in charge. With talents like you willing to save the nation, to protect the dying Dayong, it could surely rise again!"
Xu Qing suddenly asked, "The Ghost Law is about to invade the mortal world, threatening the people of Jin Sect. For these people, would the Marshal be willing to fight a life-and-death battle against the Ghost Law?"
"..."
The Eight Banner Marshal remained silent.
He bore the burden of the nation's fate; if defeated by the Ghost Law, it would harm Dayong's fortune. Acting for the people of one place, engaging in acts of state ruin, is truly unwise!
Xu Qing retracted his smile and asked again, "A dynasty that seeks mere survival by sacrificing its subjects—does it still deserve to exist?"
The Eight Banner Marshal gave Xu Qing a long, deep look, then mounted his horse, gazed into the distance, and said:
"Mercy has no place in a leader, nor sentiment in business. As a general, how could I act on emotions? Lord Xu, do you truly refuse to work with me in the same court?"
"You and I are on different paths; how can there be any talk of working together in the future?"
The Eight Banner Marshal tightened his grip on his spear and asked no more.
Before leaving, the Marshal clad in golden armor and a billowing cloak, turned his back to Xu Qing and left one last message:
"Brother Xu, take care of yourself. If we meet again, hopefully, we won't be enemies."
Xu Qing chuckled lightly, "This meeting may be a farewell. When Dayong is about to fall, I will come to collect the Marshal's body, at least ensuring that one who shed a lifetime of blood for the nation won't be left exposed in the wild, unable to return home."
"..."
The Eight Banner Marshal's body gave a slight pause before he urged his horse forward, disappearing amidst the dust on the vast Ancient Yin River Dao.
————————————
Before leaving, the Marshal clad in golden armor and a billowing cloak, turned his back to Xu Qing and left one last message:
"Brother Xu, take care of yourself. If we meet again, hopefully, we won't be enemies."
Xu Qing chuckled lightly, "This meeting may be a farewell. When Dayong is about to fall, I will come to collect the Marshal's body, at least ensuring that one who shed a lifetime of blood for the nation won't be left exposed in the wild, unable to return home."
"..."
The Eight Banner Marshal's body gave a slight pause before he urged his horse forward, disappearing amidst the dust on the vast Ancient Yin River Dao.