The Husky and His White Cat Shizun

Chapter 212: Grand Supreme Master of Dragon Mountain

"Stop! Retreat! Everyone, back away! To the foot of the mountain!"

A sudden bellow startled the crowd, and they turned to see Mo Ran swooping in, clad in black. Behind him, a female corpse pursued relentlessly, its haunting cries echoing.

Xue Zhengyong exclaimed, "Ran-er? What... what's happening?!"

"Step back! Everyone, return!" Mo Ran's sharp gaze, like daggers unsheathed beneath his dark brows, shouted at Nan Gongsi, "Nan Gong! Drop the Spirit Repelling Stones ahead!"

Nan Gongsi immediately rushed upward – above the Burial Grounds of Loyal Souls lay the collective grave of the Confucian Wind Sect's senior disciples through the ages. To prevent any future calamities, a long wall separated the two burial grounds as a barrier.

He dashed forward, with Ye Wangxi close behind. But before they reached the Spirit Repelling Wall, Nan Gongsi abruptly halted.

At the end of the mountain path, a group was slowly descending, all dressed in green robes with crane badges and flowing silk bands. At first glance, it seemed as if the Confucian Wind Sect still stood strong, as a grand assembly of its valiant disciples marched forward in unison. Their imposing presence and astonishing momentum were breathtaking.

But Nan Gongsi knew something was amiss.

Ye Wangxi also sensed it clearly.

These Confucian Wind Sect disciples differed from the ones they had lived alongside before in one subtle aspect: each of them wore a green silk sash embroidered with crane silhouettes across their eyes.

It was an insignificant difference at first glance, but every member of the Nangong family understood its implications – no living person would tie such a blindfold. This sash was a mourning item placed on disciples by their sect before burial, symbolizing the ascent to eternal bliss on a cloud-covered crane's back.

They were all dead, descending from the mountain as the Confucian Wind Sect!

Nan Gongsi took a step back and instinctively held out his hand to stop Ye Wangxi.

Without turning around, he whispered, "Go down."

"..."

"Go! Tell Grandmaster Mo that it's too late." Nan Gongsi took a deep breath, his voice trembling slightly as he spoke, "All senior disciples of the Confucian Wind Sect across generations have risen from the dead and are forcing their way down the mountain."

"What about you?!"

"I'll hold them off for a while. Hurry up," Nan Gongsi turned his face slightly, addressing Ye Wangxi, "Get them to retreat as far down the mountain as possible. Once they're there, set off the signal firework, and I'll come right away."

Ye Wangxi bit her lip tightly. She knew there was no turning back now. The last thing she could do was to remove her quiver, toss it to Nan Gongsi, and say solemnly, "Catch. You always forget to bring enough."

By the time she reached the mountain slope, a fierce battle had already erupted. Servants of the Confucian Wind Sect, who had been hiding in ambush, were pouring out from behind bushes, rocks, and any place that could provide cover like a swarm of locusts, charging at the cultivators who had come to confront them. These corpses wore burial clothes and had pale skin, their presence amidst the sea of differently dressed cultivators resembling a surging snow wave; a magnificent sight, albeit one that came at a terrible cost. Dragon Mountain was suddenly filled with cries of sorrow and battle cries.

Ye Wangxi glimpsed several coffins that had been blasted open by spiritual energy during the chaos. Inside were only clothes arranged in the shape of a person. Her adoptive father had been as sly as a fox, leaving them a "Tomb of Loyalty" that seemed peaceful, but had actually summoned the corpses inside to hide in secret, awaiting the moment they would reach the summit to activate the "Tomb of Advanced Disciples" in front and attack them from both sides.

He had set a trap, and they were the fish caught in it.

Amidst the chaos, Ye Wangxi found Mo Ran: "Grandmaster Mo!"

Mo Ran was engaged in combat with five corpses. Upon hearing Ye Wangxi's voice, he looked up sharply, asking anxiously, "What—"

Before he could finish his sentence, he saw Ye Wangxi's face and understood the answer.

Mo Ran cursed inwardly. Just then, a zombie clamped down on his arm. He couldn't shake it off, so in a fit of extreme anger, he stuck his hand into the zombie's mouth, his gaze turning fierce as he exerted force and ripped its tongue out!

"Ao!"

Black blood splattered everywhere, and the zombie could no longer bite him. With an elbow strike to its chest, Mo Ran sent it crashing to the ground.

Mo Ran's black eyes glowed ominously, his expression terrifying. When he looked at Ye Wangxi again, she couldn't help but shiver. But she quickly composed herself and said, "Si wants you to retreat immediately and wait for him at the foot of the mountain!"

Mo Ran nodded, and in an instant, his amplified voice echoed throughout the chaotic battlefield.

"Don't get too engaged in combat. Everyone, retreat to the foot of the mountain. Retreat to the foot of the mountain!"

Huang Xiaoyue panicked at once. "We were already prepared to face Xu Shuanglin and risk our lives. This situation was expected. Why should we retreat now?"

Mo Ran ignored him completely. Birds die for food, and men for wealth. Huang Xiaoyue was determined to rush up the mountain to search for the treasures hidden in the Confucian Wind Sect's Celestial Palace. That was his own decision. He continued to sternly repeat, "Anyone who doesn't want to die, get down the mountain! Now! All of you, go!"

Although these servants' corpses were not particularly strong, they were not as weak as the ordinary civilians on Phoenix Mountain. With their shocking numbers and disregard for pain, they kept surging forward. By the time everyone had retreated to the foot of the mountain, more than ten cultivators had already lost their lives.

Of course, Huang Xiaoyue also retreated. He knew he could never reach the summit alone with his abilities.

But he sneered, puffing his beard. "Grandmaster Mo, well done. You were the one who wanted to come to Dragon Mountain, and now you're the one telling us to retreat. You're quite capable, aren't you? What should we do now? Should you lead the way, and we'll follow you shamefully out of the barrier?"

In his previous life, this wimp wasn't even worthy enough to hold shoes for the Lord of the Fallen Immortals. Killing him would have been dirtying one's hands. In this life, it was only because Mo Ran was no longer the Master of Darkness but a respected grandmaster that he couldn't slap him in public.

But Mo Ran could choose to ignore him altogether.

Just as Huang Xiaoyue was about to speak again, a billowing cloud of smoke appeared before them. It was Nan Gongsi riding Nao Baijin, the demonic wolf, who had transformed back into its true form, dashing over like a gale. Behind him followed hundreds of high-ranking disciples from the Confucian Wind Sect. Huang Xiaoyue took one look and exclaimed, "Oh no, we've fallen into a trap!"

Mo Ran narrowed his eyes, thinking to himself, This old fellow has finally caught on and realizes it's Xu Shuanglin's trap. He's not completely clueless.

However, Huang Xiaoyue continued with the latter half of his sentence: "Nan Gongsi! How dare you! To gather the remnant scum of the Confucian Wind Sect on Dragon Mountain, do you intend to fight against the other sects?"

Mo Ran: "…"

Nan Gongsi crouched low on the demonic wolf, rushing forward at breakneck speed. The Nao Baijin was as swift as an arrow, leaving the pursuing corpses far behind. Only then did Huang Xiaoyue realize he had misunderstood Nan Gongsi, but he didn't feel any guilt. Instead, he widened his eyes as he stared at the wave of zombies advancing towards them like a tide, his throat constricting.

Nan Gongsi charged into the crowd, leaping off the demonic wolf. He stuffed the quiver into Ye Wangxi's arms and panted, "There are still arrows left. I'll return them to you first. Take everyone and retreat."

Upon hearing the first part of his words, Ye Wangxi felt a slight relief, but when she heard the second part, she abruptly looked up, staring at Nan Gongsi's face. "What are you planning to do?"

"Just a small matter."

Huang Xiaoyue, watching as the senior disciples of the Confucian Wind Sect drew closer, saw that they were about to engage in battle with these Confucian Wind Sect heroes from a hundred years ago. His palms were sweaty as he turned and cursed, "Nan Gongsi! You're just as much a menace as your father! Why have you led all these monsters here? Do you want us to fight for you?"

Seeing that Nan Gongsi ignored him and remained silent, Huang Xiaoyue grew even more furious, his voice trembling. "Fine, I finally understand your scheme — you're afraid you can't reach the summit alone and claim the treasures your father left for you, so you've led us to this wretched mountain to pave the way for you! Nan Gongsi, how sinister your intentions are!"

As Huang Xiaoyue's words became increasingly harsh, Xue Zhengyong, standing beside him, couldn't bear it anymore. He frowned and said, "Alright, Daoist Priest Huang, that's enough."

"Why should I hold back? What grounds do I have to do so?" Huang Xiaoyue held no regard for the Lower Realm, and while he might usually be more composed, considering Xue Zhengyong's reputation, in this desperate situation, he had no intention of putting on a facade. Pointing at Nan Gongsi, he spat out, "You truly are the offspring of a monstrous beast, with a heart as cruel as a wolf! You actually exploit the noble heroes to clear your path! How dare you?"

Nan Gongsi: "...."

Huang Xiaoyue wasn't finished yet, and roared with fury, "Someone like you should have died to atone for your crimes against the world. Yet, you managed to escape from that massacre and led these beasts here. You—"

"Slap!"

A resounding slap landed firmly on Huang Xiaoyue's face.

Ye Wangxi, the embodiment of gentlemanly grace, still maintained her posture of slapping Huang Xiaoyue. She trembled slightly, gasping for air, with a fierce gaze locked onto the man who had fallen before her.

"Beast."

She spoke through gritted teeth.

"How dare you utter such profanity in front of the Hero's Tomb of the Scholarly Style?!"

The disciples of Jiangdong Sect drew their swords, pointing them at Ye Wangxi. A middle-aged female cultivator seated under Huang Xiaoyue scowled and yelled at her, "You...you unmanly, genderless thing! To dare lay a hand on an elder? You're the beast! A lapdog of the Scholarly Style!"

She shouted, ready to rush forward and confront Ye Wangxi. Mo Ran was about to intervene when he heard the sharp crack of a vine whip slicing through the air.

In a dazzling golden glow, Chu Wanning emerged from the crowd, holding Tianwen in his hand and narrowing his phoenix eyes.

He faced Jiangdong Sect with his back to Ye Wangxi.

"I said it before," he enunciated each word clearly, "Nan Gongsi is my disciple. If any of you don't wish to be judged by the Heavenly Sound Pavilion, then if you have anything to teach or criticize, come to me first. We can settle it fairly, or with fists."

In the deathly silence, he concluded with a firm statement:

"I'll see you through to the end."

The atmosphere became tense to the utmost limit.

Jiangdong Sect was caught between a rock and a hard place. To advance would be a loss of face, but to retreat... could they truly challenge the revered Immortal Venerable of the Northern Dipper, Chu Wanning? Moreover, should they really provoke Chu Wanning and become eternal foes?

The horde of corpses continued to draw closer, ever closer...

Someone couldn't bear it anymore and cried out, "Enough arguing! Discuss this elsewhere! Let's think of a solution! What are we going to do?!"

"Shall we fight?"

"Are we just going to start fighting like this? Then why did we retreat to the foot of the mountain? What's the difference between fighting here and on the mountaintop?"

Indeed, Mo Ran couldn't help but ponder—what was the difference?

He understood that Nan Gongsi wouldn't act without a purpose. As the last heir of the Nan Gong family, there must be a reason for his decision to have them retreat to the foot of the mountain.

He couldn't resist glancing at Nan Gongsi, who had been silent since earlier, only to suddenly notice an indescribable gleam in the man's eyes.

A gleam that sent shivers down his spine.

"Nan Gong!"

He called out, but it was too late. Nan Gongsi had been silently chanting a powerful curse ever since Huang Xiaoyue had berated him.

The realization dawned upon them too late.

Countless vines burst forth from the ground and shot up into the air, entwining around Mo Ran, Ye Wangxi, Xue Meng, and everyone else almost simultaneously. In the next moment, they were flung out of the barrier and beyond the borders of Dragon Mountain.

Ye Wangxi's face paled in shock. "Si! What are you doing?!"

She tried to rush in again, but Nan Gongsi raised his hand and waved forcefully— the two Guardian Gods on either side slowly rose, covered in dust as they did. They lifted their left and right hands, pressing them together to create a brand new, translucent barrier that enveloped the entire entrance of Dragon Mountain, blocking everyone from entering.

Nan Gongsi stood alone before the barrier, facing the horde of thousands of corpses while having his back to everyone behind it.

He said, "There are vines on Dragon Mountain, transformed from dragon tendons, capable of pulling anything and anyone underground. But you can't be inside. —As long as you don't carry the blood of the Nan Gong family, once I activate this formation, the dragon tendon vines will pull everyone, friend or foe, into the earth, burying you alive."

Bereaved by sorrow and consumed by anger, Ye Wangxi shouted, "Nan Gongsi! Do you know that you're human?!" She pounded and hammered, but could only call out to him from outside the barrier, "Nan Gongsi!"

"Why would I be alone?" Nan Gongsi turned half his face. "Don't you count?"

"..."

Suddenly, he seemed to remember something, causing him to grin widely.

That smile was radiant, a brilliance that hadn't graced his face since the destruction of the Confucian Wind Sect. It was wild, untamed, and passionate, as if the vigor of many years had returned to his features, shining in his bright eyes like a free-spirited rider on a galloping horse.

Nan Gongsi, just like years ago when he and Ye Wangxi first entered the trial illusion together, tilted his face, sword in hand, and smiled at her, saying:

"Still, you girls are helpless in the end. You still need me to protect you."

With that, he turned around and strode toward the surging horde of corpses with great strides.

One step.

Two steps.

Three steps.

He stopped.

Nan Gongsi plunged his sword into the ground and unwrapped the bandage on his hand. With a fierce motion, he slashed across the sharp blade.

Blood flowed down in a torrent, following the groove on the sword's body and seeping into Dragon Mountain's moist soil.

Nan Gongsi's gaze was cool and unwavering as he stared straight ahead, fearless.

Unbeknownst to him, at this moment, from Mo Ran's perspective standing outside the barrier, his figure overlapped with Ye Wangxi's indomitable image from their past life. They became one, inseparable.

"Bloody sacrifice to the Azure Dragon, to gain its sinews," Nan Gongsi declared. "Array, activate!"

Countless vines burst forth from the cracked earth, causing sand and mud to rain down. These vines were vastly different from the ones that had previously ensnared and hurled everyone away. They were crimson in color, devoid of leaves or branches. One could even say they resembled thick veins, rising from the depths of Dragon Mountain and instantly coiling around every corpse under the control of the Jujiong Array.

With a single person's strength, Nan Gongsi summoned over a thousand dragon sinews from the ground, expending an immense amount of spiritual energy in the process. beads of sweat trickled down his forehead, and his hand holding the sword trembled slightly. Veins bulged on the back of his hand, reopening old wounds and causing blood to flow freely...

"Submerge them!"

His face pale, he issued the final command with a quivering voice.

The thousand dragon sinews began to ruthlessly pull the corpses underground. However, the zombies would not go down without a fight; they howled, roared, and struggled with all their might.

Nan Gongsi was now sharing his spiritual energy with the dragon sinews. As the zombies exerted force and writhed, he had no choice but to squeeze out more power, offering it through the blood sacrifice to the earth, urging the dragon sinews to exert even greater strength to drag the horde downward.

Ankles, lower legs... thighs...

The zombies across the mountain wailed and stretched their necks, saliva dripping from their mouths.

Nan Gongsi panted. Thighs... still thighs...

He could feel his spiritual energy dwindling, yet he had not fully submerged those zombies beneath the soil. They writhed in fury, using their hands to push against the earth, striving to break free.

Just a little more... up to the waist... at least to the waist...

Only then would the barrier be lifted, allowing outsiders to enter, and preventing these zombies from suddenly breaking free, thereby reversing the situation in an instant.

At least...

A little more...

With his spiritual energy drained, he was now pushing his spirit core to the brink of exhaustion.

Nan Gongsi felt a dull ache in his heart. His already fragile spirit core trembled slightly within his chest. Clenching his teeth, blood still trickled down the corners of his lips.

Just a little more.

His waist...

Excellent, they were all extremely stiff now, but not yet completely immobilized. A zombie's strength was greater than when it was alive; buried here, there was still a chance it could burst free.

"Ahem!" With another surge of Spirit Core energy, Nan Gongsi felt a wave of dizziness wash over him, causing him to collapse to his knees. He vomited blood, which dripped onto the black soil.

Nan Gongsi lifted his unsteady eyelids and through the shimmering images, he saw the horde of corpses being dragged deeper by the relentless dragon tendons, almost burying their chests.

These monsters were temporarily incapacitated.

With blood-stained lips and teeth, Nan Gongsi laughed.

He heard Ye Wangxi shouting from outside, "Si! That's enough! Open the barrier! Quickly open the barrier!"

Xue Zhengyong was also calling out, "Open the barrier quickly, Nan Gong! We're coming to help you!"

"Open the barrier, Nan Gong! Open it, hurry up!"

More voices joined in, and in this world, not everyone was devoid of compassion.

As Nan Gongsi laughed, tears that had never fallen after all the injustices he'd endured following the destruction of the Rúfēng Sect began to roll down his cheeks.

With a choked voice, he murmured in a hoarse whisper, "I know... it's open... it's open..."

He lifted his trembling hand, preparing to withdraw the Dragon Mountain barrier that was blocking everyone. Suddenly, the ground shook, and a gentle tremor began to spread.

Nan Gongsi sensed it immediately. He froze, then lifted his head, staring at the scene before him with an expression of disbelief.

The dragon tendons that had just obeyed his command to drag the zombies deeper into the earth suddenly loosened. Wrapping around the corpses' chests and backs, they pulled them one by one back out of the soil...

"It's impossible..." Nan Gongsi said in a daze. "This can't be happening!"

How could Dragon Mountain ignore its master's orders?

Even if Xu Shuanglin had issued a contradictory command, these dragon tendons would never obey. To the slumbering evil dragon spirit here, all descendants of the Nan Gong family were the same.

If two Nan Gong heirs gave conflicting orders to Dragon Mountain, the mountain would simply cease its actions, aiding neither side and adopting a neutral stance.

Unless...

Nan Gongsi's skin prickled as a person came to mind.

The mere thought made his entire body tremble, and the pain in his heart seemed to intensify. Gasping for air, he lifted his head slowly, gazing upward along the seemingly endless white marble steps and the dense swarm of corpses.

A man of imposing demeanor and tall stature was descending the staircase with measured steps. He wore an exquisite robe adorned with dragons devouring the sun and moon amidst surging clouds, the golden and silver threads woven into the fabric shimmering like water under the moonlight with every stride.

Above his high, straight nose, a ribbon typically worn only by the deceased of the Confucian Wind Sect was tied neatly across his eyes, but instead of the usual green, this one was black. It bore not the embroidery of cranes but a fierce azure dragon spewing flames and lightning, its claws powerful and resolute.

Nan Gongsi's face had turned as pale as paper. Staring at the man descending the stairs with unwavering composure, his eyes widened in disbelief as he muttered, "How... How is it possible... Grand Supreme Leader..."

Moonlight filtered through the forest leaves, illuminating the man's chiseled, striking features.

It was him.

The only person in the world who could defy the orders of the Nangong descendants and subdue the Dragon Mountain, conquer the malevolent ancient beast "Gun," and establish the first great immortal sect that flourished for centuries.

He was the preeminent master of hundreds of years ago, the first to forsake ascension to the Heavenly Realm while still alive, enduring the hardships of the mortal world. He was the founding leader of the Confucian Wind Sect—

Nan Gong Changying!

Author's Note:

"The Occult Sect Leader Tai"

Nan Gongsi: Xu Shuanglin!!! You dug up my ancestors' graves! You dared to touch our Great Sect Leader!!! You have no shame!!! I curse your ancestors!!!

Xu Shuanglin: Don't make a fuss, little nephew. Your ancestors are also my ancestors.

Nan Gong Changying: ...If I had known you two would cause such a ruckus, I should've chosen cremation instead of burial back then.

Nan Gongsi & Xu Shuanglin: Why did Sect Leader Tai choose burial in the first place?

Nan Gong Changying: He wanted to be like Snow White, hoping to sleep in a crystal coffin and maybe be kissed awake after five hundred years.

Scholarly Angel Mo Ran: Please don't believe the above conversation. In this world, it's customary to bury the deceased, and most descendants hope to preserve their ancestors' bodies as intact as possible against decay, just like in many ancient customs of Central China~~