Chapter 1240: The Howling Forest

The Yao Kingdom reacted somewhat slowly, only beginning to act after witnessing the Bixia people being severely beaten and bruised. It also sent provisions and weapons to Bixia, hoping the latter could regain its strength. Concurrently, it met with several factions preparing to enter the conflict, offering incentives to persuade them to abandon their attacks. One less attacker would significantly reduce the pressure on the Bixia people. Under its persuasive offers, one faction ultimately chose not to join the alliance and retreated to its own territory.

Meanwhile, Situ He actively lobbied for alliances, explaining the benefits and risks. Thanks to his fervent persuasion, one faction joined the alliance and formally declared war on Bixia. Two other factions remained undecided. Situ Yu also proved effective, capturing a strategic pass and fortress at a crucial moment. By this point, half of Gaopu Kingdom's former territory had been reclaimed. It appeared that even without additional help, the allied forces could soon reclaim the remaining lost territories. Consequently, the last two factions swiftly announced their entry into the conflict. This war, rife with chaos, strategic maneuvering, and animosity, finally began to unfold in the direction He Lingchuan had anticipated.

It was at this point that the power backing the Situ family—the Yangshan Archipelago—also began to draw the attention of various parties. Situ Yu had initially been pushed back into his territory by the Bixia people, with his son even captured and almost executed. Yet, within just a month, he had turned the tide, steadily advancing to reclaim the former kingdom's lands. There had to be a reason behind this. The scouts from the Yao Kingdom and other factions were not easily fooled, and the Yangshan Chamber of Commerce made no attempt to hide its involvement, openly entering the fray.

However, as He Lingchuan had noted, the Yangshan Chamber of Commerce only conducted business with the Situ family on a cash-and-carry basis, ostensibly without other involvement. Therefore, various parties initially learned that a new, prosperous island power had emerged from the sea, located far from the Shanjing Plain. It remained unknown how the Situ family had forged this connection and secured such a substantial loan of money and provisions, which allowed them to fight with renewed vigor. Of course, this information was disseminated by the Yangshan Archipelago and the Situ family themselves.

Several unreliable rumors also circulated among the public; for instance, that the Yangshan Archipelago had apparently acquired the renowned Fiendish Armor from the plain. Both the Bixia people and Xuanlu Ghost King had attempted to seize it but had been defeated by its forces. The veracity of this matter, however, could not be confirmed, leaving it as mere hearsay.

Beyond its dealings with Situ Yu, the Yangshan Archipelago also conducted business with the Peng Kingdom, the Xiaoyao Sect, and other local powers, acquiring the most valuable mountain and sea rights. With such an external force entering the arena, even though it had not yet shown aggression beyond its business dealings (its defeat of the Bixia people in Rolling Stone Valley was considered self-defense), all parties inevitably marked it as a key entity to watch. Some regarded it with suspicion, while others sought to establish contact.

From the perspective of local inhabitants, the Yangshan Chamber of Commerce had unexpectedly gained prominence and proven its strength through this war. However, it was important to remember that it had no real foundation in the Shanjing Plain and therefore could not disrupt the local ecosystem or power balance. What kind of place was the Shanjing Plain? Even the powerful Mou Kingdom couldn't gain a foothold there. Could an unknown chamber of commerce from the distant sea truly overturn everything? Therefore, while various factions remained vigilant, they did not outright reject it; instead, they dispatched envoys to prepare for contact. After all, it genuinely appeared to be wealthy. Who would refuse a wealthy entity?

The Yangshan Archipelago's business ventures in the Peng Kingdom and the Situ family's territory quickly prospered.

While the outside world was embroiled in turmoil and widespread conflict, He Lingchuan, Dong Rui, and Fu Liushan had just arrived at Shrieking Forest. After Situ Yu captured Jucheng, he specifically interrogated the county magistrate, learning that the Xuanlu Ghost King's death-sworn soldiers stationed in the city had also lost control. The timing largely coincided with He Lingchuan's slaying of the Ghost King in Mian Village. Furthermore, when the Situ family's army subsequently engaged Bixia, they no longer encountered the vanguard composed of the Xuanlu Ghost King's death-sworn soldiers. The purpose of such units was to pierce enemy formations like a blade, tear open defenses, cause maximum damage, and then allow their own regular soldiers to swarm in. Without such opponents, the difficulty of combat drastically decreased. The Situ family's smooth reclamation of Gaopu's lost territory was also significantly linked to the Xuanlu Ghost King's withdrawal.

If it had truly been annihilated, that would have been one thing, but He Lingchuan and others already knew that it had merely feigned death to deceive. "Xuanlu has abandoned its allies once again," He Lingchuan declared. "It's the same ghost in death as it was a person in life; absolutely nothing has changed." The Xuanlu Ghost King feigned death, leaving the Bixia people to face the Situ army's blades and spears alone. If that wasn't betraying an ally, what was it? Not to mention, there was an agreement between Xuanlu and the Bixia people: the Bixia would offer it living souls, and it would provide military support to them. It didn't even adhere to the agreement. Its character—no, its 'ghost-character'—was utterly despicable. No wonder the Situ family refused to ally with it.

"Isn't this great?" Dong Rui chuckled. "It abandoned its allies, and now no one will come to its rescue. We can proceed at our leisure."

Although both were part of the Hundred Thousand Mountains, the renowned Shrieking Forest ahead was clearly distinct from the wilderness they had traversed. The mountains here resembled screens; unlike other broad and sturdy mountains, they were long and narrow. From a high vantage point, they looked like the backs of crucian carp or sails moored in a harbor. These ridges unceremoniously blocked the sunlight, and the valleys beneath them were very deep. Dense vegetation completely obscured the sun. Even at midday, few rays of sunlight could penetrate the leaves and reach the ground. Yet even with insufficient sunlight, the plants here were unusually tall. The wind rustled through the forest, as if speaking a thousand words. He Lingchuan listened intently. "There's only the sound of the forest," he observed, "no chirping insects or singing birds." It wasn't the desolate cold of winter; insect chirps and bird songs were standard in every forest, sometimes accompanied by the roars of beasts. But the Shrieking Forest ahead had a terrifyingly monotonous soundscape: only the rustle of wind through leaves! He Lingchuan had seen this situation before and was even quite familiar with it—hadn't the Yangshan Archipelago been like this before his arrival?

There were several types of ominous, yin-energy laden lands: either barren wastelands or exceptionally lush areas with dense vegetation, appearing as mist-shrouded forests. Shrieking Forest belonged to the latter category. "It's almost noon; the timing is perfect," Fu Liushan said, looking up at the sky. "At this hour, the terrestrial evil is weakest. We should walk beneath the trees where the sunlight is most abundant."

It's worth noting that while all living people knew the Ghost King resided in Shrieking Forest, none knew its exact location—those who unfortunately did know had likely perished. This forest contained yin-evil energy and was home to corpse puppets and malevolent ghosts; even cultivators were unwilling to approach it. Even the Xuanlu Ghost King's human allies would only send captives and offerings to the forest's edge, never stepping further inside. No living person should approach: this was Shrieking Forest's rule.

"How far are we from where you were chased by the corpse puppets last time?" He Lingchuan asked. Shrieking Forest was vast, and corpse puppets wouldn't chase people without reason. Therefore, Fu Liushan's previous entry into the forest likely brought him close to the Ghost King's dwelling, which would explain why he was driven away.