Chu Hao was delighted yet puzzled as he asked, "System, why do I only have five hundred thousand Experience Points?"
System: "Sharing Experience Points with the Ghost General is limited to no more than one million; any excess over one million is halved, and the higher the level, the more is deducted." So that was it.
Zhao Zilong was slaying enemies in all directions, exuding an awe-inspiring grandeur. His heroic figure was enchanting, and his prowess could swallow mountains and rivers. No matter what ghost encountered him, they were instantly reduced to ash and annihilated.
"No... don't, let me go, I... I won't dare anymore," begged a Dark Killing Ghost.
Zhao Yun said coldly, "Begging for mercy on the battlefield, you lowly creatures, killing you is perfectly justified."
With a thrust of his spear, Zhao Yun turned the Dark Killing Ghost to flying ash and nothingness.
"Zhao Yun, you can't do this, you're a ghost too! If you kill us, you'll be held accountable in the Underworld," cried the multitude of ghosts, scared out of their wits. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ novel⁂fire.net
Zhao Yun snorted, "Why do I need to explain my actions to anyone?"
"BEEP! Zhao Yun displays pretentiousness, Host gains 400 Pretentiousness Points."
Facing Zhao Yun's indifference, the group of ghosts fell into utter despair. He was too fierce, truly a God Killer.
Chu Hao suddenly felt the ground beneath his feet shake, as a sharp claw burst from the earth, aiming to pierce his body.
Startled, Chu Hao quickly took out the Night Demon Umbrella and opened it for defense. Sparks flew everywhere, and Chu Hao was sent flying. Then he saw a two-meter tall pangolin partway out of the ground, its scary eyes glaring at him.
Furious, Chu Hao said, "You bastard, daring to ambush this Taoist Master."
The Night Demon Umbrella transformed into a spear shape, and Chu Hao fiercely thrust it toward the pangolin emerging from the ground.
Sparks flew again as the pangolin's claw blocked the strike from the Night Demon Spear. Its claw was incredibly hard and its strength immense.
System notification: "System has activated the demon ranking system. Pangolin's level has been tested: Lesser Demon rank."
System notification: "Lesser Demon, Greater Demon, Demon King, Supreme Demon, Supreme Demon King, Demon God."
This meant that it was merely a Lesser Demon level, just like the Eight-Headed Ghost Mantis.
Chu Hao had no time to think further, as the pangolin's claw was already swiping at him.
Chu Hao was no pushover either. His Night Demon Spear swept across, and both parties, evenly matched in strength, were forced back.
Curiously, Chu Hao said, "This is just a Lesser Demon. How strong must a Greater Demon be?"
The pangolin spoke in human tongue, "Human, I want Taisui Meat. Give it to me, and I'll leave you be and cause no further trouble."
Chu Hao sneered, "Are you dreaming? If you want Taisui Meat, come get it yourself."
The pangolin, in fury, launched a vigorous attack. It was extremely agile, especially its claws and scales, which were indomitably hard. However, fortunately, the Night Demon Spear was also formidable. After several strikes, the pangolin was left with several cuts on its body, with faint traces of blood oozing out.
Chu Hao, holding the Night Demon Spear, said coldly, "A mere pangolin dares to act presumptuously in front of this Taoist Master. Very well! Tonight, I shall drink pangolin soup."
With a thrust of the Night Demon Spear, Chu Hao unleashed his power, consuming 6,000 Mana Points as the spear turned into a sinister black gleam, cutting through the darkness and aiming at the pangolin.
The pangolin guarded its vital spots but was still pierced by the dark spike of light, writhing painfully on the ground and emitting shrill cries.
Chu Hao sneered, "Daring to offend this Taoist Master, a Lesser Demon like you will be reduced to ash at the snap of my fingers."
"BEEP! Host successfully displays pretentiousness, gaining 400 Pretentiousness Points."
Chu Hao was about to finish off the pangolin.
Suddenly, a voice rang out, "Please show mercy."
Then, from the ground, a round, shiny head popped out, shining almost like a light bulb. This was a little old man, leaning on a walking stick, with a mustache like a tuft of grass, looking just like a short, stubby potato.
"Tudigong (Earth God)?" Chu Hao was surprised.
System notification: "Encountered a Spiritual Being. Rank: Greater Demon."
Spiritual Beings and animal-transformed demons are different; Spiritual Beings are usually transformed from mountain herbs and foliage, such as the well-known ginseng, which is a herb-turned Spiritual Being.
This little old man is a Spiritual Being? But no matter how I looked at him, he resembled the legendary Tudigong (Earth God).
With an apologetic smile, the little old man said, "I am not Tudigong, Taoist Master. I haven't ranked among the immortals yet. This creature is my mount, so please spare it."
Chu Hao tilted his head. This scene seemed somewhat similar to Journey to the West, where the eldest brother was about to slay demons, and then some god would appear, claiming it was their domestic whatever. Do I look easy to hoodwink?
Chu Hao snorted coldly, "What do you take this Taoist Master for? Someone who can come and go as they please?"
The little old man felt helpless. He wasn't afraid of Chu Hao; if worst came to worst, he could forcibly take away the pangolin. What he was worried about was Zhao Yun. That Ghost General was terrifying. If a fight really broke out, with Zhao Yun and Diao Chan, plus Chu Hao involved, he would also suffer.
The little old man said, "Taoist Master, I am willing to compensate."
"What will you compensate with?"
The little old man, feeling helpless, plucked a whisker. It turned into a ginseng as he said, "This is one of my body's ginseng whiskers. Although it can't bring back the dead, it can cure all kinds of diseases. I hope the Taoist Master will be merciful."
Chu Hao's eyes widened, and his saliva flowed unconsciously as he said, "Are you a Ginseng Spirit?"
This old man actually was a Ginseng Spirit. If I slaughtered him, I could probably get a lot of Experience Points, right? And moreover, if one whisker can cure all kinds of diseases, if I take the whole thing back home to make soup, wouldn't I be rich?
Facing Chu Hao's gaze, the little old man shivered and gave a wary yet sheepish smile, saying, "I am a Spiritual Being from Daxinganling. My mount and I roam across the four seas. We were just passing by when this creature was lured out by the Taisui Meat; that's why it ran out."
He was a Spiritual Being of Greater Demon rank, yet he had no airs, so Chu Hao felt it wouldn't be right to attack him; one had to have principles.
Chu Hao said indifferently, "Three ginseng whiskers, or no deal."
The little old man said with a pained expression, "Cultivation isn't easy. Three whiskers represent sixty years of my cultivation. How about giving the Taoist Master two?"
Chu Hao raised his spear, ready to kill.
Still trying to negotiate terms? Who does he think I am?
The little old man hastily said, "Wait... three whiskers it is."
The little old man, aching with regret, plucked out three whiskers, which transformed into ginseng before he handed them to Chu Hao. He had no choice; the pangolin had followed him for many years. He had invested much time in raising it and couldn't just watch it die.
"Master, I'm sorry," the pangolin said with a bitter tone.
"HUMPH! You'll be punished accordingly when we get back."
The little old man took the pangolin and left. Chu Hao, having received the three life-saving ginseng whiskers, felt pretty happy.
By then, Zhao Yun had annihilated all the ghosts. He was ruthless, cold, and merciless. The battle was over, as if the ghosts had never existed. Truly deserving of his reputation as a great general of Shu Han. Dealing with ghosts was just a matter of minutes for him.
This time, the haul was very good: Experience Points increased by three million, only one million eight hundred thousand away from leveling up.
Pretentious Expert: Chu Hao
Experience Points: 3,200,000 / 5,000,000
Pretentiousness Points: 2,200
Ghost Servants: Diao Chan, Zhao Yun, Sadako, Chu Beauty, Jiayeci, Ghost Dragon (Qiu)
There was also a Golden Treasure Chest and a Silver Treasure Box, along with other miscellaneous items, but no rare star-ranked ones.
Chu Hao said, "Open the Silver Treasure Box."
"BEEP! Congratulations, Host, for acquiring the Night-Illuminating Jade Lion Horse."
Mount: Night-Illuminating Jade Lion Horse (Exclusive to Zhao Yun)
Ability: Spirit of the Ghost Horse (Speed increased threefold, thirty-three meters per second)
Thirty-three meters per second, equivalent to the speed of a normal sedan doing one hundred and twenty miles per hour on the highway. Impressive, my Lion Horse!
Seeing Zhao Yun walk over, Chu Hao gave a thumbs up and said, "Brother Zhao is awesome."
Zhao Yun gave a faint smile, his expression handsome. If he went into acting, he wouldn't be inferior to A-list male stars back home. Of course, I'm not talking about the effeminate types, but a major star with a commanding, world-conquering presence.
Zhao Yun said, "My lord jests. They were just Xiao Gui, with no real combat training. Hence, Zilong's strength could naturally exceed theirs."
Look at that! Zhao Yun demonstrates no arrogance but great modesty. That's the true style of a great general.
That's my Brother Zhao: humble, ruthless, and a man of few words!