Just as Abbot Huiming and the others finished tidying up and planned to hurry to Rongcheng, upon reaching the dilapidated city gate, they were pushed back repeatedly by an extremely cold and dangerous aura.
A dense, dark mass of black mist permeated the sky and earth, surging and rolling in from the horizon, like an extremely thick and wide curtain swallowing everything in front of the city gate.
All their vision was blocked by the black mist, until a tall figure, cloaked in deep, dark energy, appeared before them, composed and overbearing.
With a sweep of his sleeve, he slowly turned sideways, his long robes, which hung down like a black rock cliff face, accentuating his tall and imposing stature. His face and hands were wrapped in loosely tied black bandages, with long ends trailing down. The wind lifted the slender strips, carrying a slight chill. His robes churned and coiled freely within the dark mist.
"Liu, Jiang, Fu, Sheng."
He spoke these four words clearly, and with his first utterance, he identified the person he was looking for.
Who was Liu Jiang Fusheng?
Most people present had never heard this name before, though a few had some recollection.
The name of the "Rookie Ranking" champion back then seemed to be "Liu Jiang Fusheng," but they were confused about the exact characters.
Perhaps it was merely someone with a similar-sounding name?
"A ghost cultivator from Fengdu?"
The almost substantial ghostly aura left Abbot Huiming and the others with no room for doubt.
Was he blocking their path with the intention of finishing them off?
They believed he was sent by the Ghost King of Fengdu to hunt them down.
However, he had also mentioned the name "Liu Jiang Fusheng," suggesting he was looking for someone, leading to a stalemate at the city gate.
To avoid trouble and disputes, Liu Jiang Fusheng had publicly stated his name as "Pingsheng."
Not long ago, he had been singled out for questioning. After all, everyone present had seen his unusual relationship with the fake "Hua Mi." The fake "Hua Mi" had been holding two children, one of whom she had taken with her in the end, and this remaining child was now by his side.
He called the fake "Hua Mi" mother and himself father; the relationship between these two was indeed intriguing.
His identity was highly suspect, to say the least. Most importantly, unlike the innocent Li Sheng who was deceived by the fake "Hua Mi"'s melodramatic rescue, he clearly knew some inside story, or he could provide important clues about the fake "Hua Mi."
However, Cheng Hong, Lu Ziyin, and Fu Wanyan were all willing to vouch for him, claiming that he had no prior knowledge of the fake "Hua Mi"'s actions. They said the child calling her mother was merely because she looked kind. In short, this man named "Pingsheng" was absolutely not allied with the fake "Hua Mi."
Seeing their earnest assurances, Abbot Huiming didn't know what to say and could only set aside the matter of the man named "Pingsheng" for the time being.
Matters were piling up one after another, and their time was pressing. Therefore, the most urgent task was to rush to Rongcheng to notify the others.
At this moment, Abbot Huiming had no inclination to engage in wordy arguments and debates with them. She only asked for their assurance that they would keep a close watch on this person. After she finished dealing with her own affairs, she would return to hear their explanations.
Never did they expect that before they could officially step out of Ci Bei City, they would encounter another unexpected event.
"Liu Jiang Fusheng, are you going to be a cowardly turtle and not dare to show yourself?" The Human Emperor's leisurely and drawling voice was tinged with a smile, yet it also seemed like a sinister knife hidden in the shadows, ready to strike once its target was locked.
Seeing the Human Emperor return, Cheng Hong secretly speculated about his intentions. He stepped forward first, directly revealing the Human Emperor's identity to those around him: "The Ghost King of Fengdu – the Human Emperor."
Ghost King?
Among the Ghost Kings of Fengdu they knew of, there were only four, the rulers of the four cities of Fengdu. However, none of them was named "Human Emperor," which left them momentarily bewildered.
But the name "Human Emperor" was not unfamiliar to Abbot Huiming.
Her expression was stunned, and she stared at the Human Emperor with a trembling gaze.
Back then, almost all the renowned masters of Buddhist, Taoist, and spiritual powers had joined forces to deal with this powerful ghost king, who had been formed by devouring malevolent souls. At that time, Fengdu did not have Four Ghost Kings, nor was it divided into four factions. Fengdu had only one uncrowned king – the Human Emperor.
This matter had happened too long ago, so long ago that when she first heard the name, she had to pause for a while before remembering what the name "Human Emperor" truly represented.
Her master was among those who had sealed him, which was why she had an impression. But how could such a formidable being have escaped?
Had the seal of the "Du Sheng Taoist Temple" weakened, or had someone specifically gone to the "Du Sheng Taoist Temple" to rescue him?
The Human Emperor's eyes, visible through the bandages, were cold and languid, like a viper lazily basking in the sun. It was better not to disturb it, but once its attention was drawn, it would unleash its fangs and venom to strike back at its enemies.
"What bald donkey are you? I'm not looking for you."
"Then who are you looking for?" Cheng Hong saw him. Despite his calm demeanor, his heart was filled with complex emotions. "Is Nan Weng Miao alright?"
The Human Emperor clearly regarded Cheng Hong as an insignificant monk, but he was surprised that a monk he considered less than a tenth as valuable as Liu Jiang Fusheng would utter a name that astonished him.
Even though his human form still had a pale and cold countenance, his face darkened as he stared at him: "You mentioned A Miao, how do you know the name Nan Weng Miao?"
Cheng Hong did not answer but instead asked, "Then have you found your A Miao?"
"Monk, what exactly do you know?" The Human Emperor's lazy indifference vanished completely from his face. His lips, stained red, curled into a smile, emanating a dangerous coldness from the corners of his mouth.
What do I know?
In fact, to guide Gu Junshi back to the right path, he had deliberately investigated the Human Emperor's life and deeds. Although many past events had been buried by the long river of time, there were still some things that Gu Junshi did not know, but only he understood... why the Human Emperor, who knew all the truth, had become so disheartened as to wish for death.
In this life, Cheng Hong did not want to get involved in the affairs between the Human Emperor and Gu Junshi anymore, because the Human Emperor could no longer influence Gu Junshi, nor pose any threat.
"Why are you pestering her? At this time... shouldn't you be looking for your A Miao?"
The resurrected body of the Human Emperor in his previous life was not this one. In this life, he was taller, and his features, visible beneath the bandages, were exceptionally sharp and as cold as an owl.
"You keep beating around the bush without answering me, but your questions all revolve around A Miao. Could it be that you also have a close relationship with A Miao?" The Human Emperor keenly captured the monk's unusual attention towards Gu Junshi.
However, when Cheng Hong realized who "A Miao" was, he was completely stunned. His expression suddenly changed: "Human Emperor, she is not your A Miao!"