A howl ripped through the air.

The clouds were murky brown, as if they rolled in the mud and stained their pretty white coat. A gush of wind flew past, staining dust in every dark corner.

"So this is the Ghost Nation?" A scoff announced from the left. This man was dressed in grey robes, sauntering past the pathway. By his side was his companion, who also dressed in grey, "Keep your voice down."

Before them was a giant gate, built in bricks and stones that had inseparable moss. Behind the gate, many buildings could be seen. Houses built from decaying wood had sandwiched the roads. A filthy smell of death had lingered in the air.

There was no snow, despite it being winter. Perhaps, it was because Ghost Nation was the territory of the ghosts. During the days of the war, there was no snow in the kingdom.

The two men knew that after crossing this gate, they would enter the territory of ghosts; Ghost Nation.

"Tch." The man dressed in grey robes had clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. "There are so many people. Could it be that they're all here for..."

"THE ONES NEXT IN LINE! COME OVER HERE!" A yell split through the skies.

There were many people (or perhaps, ghosts) lining up at the gates. They were all waiting to be admitted to enter Ghost Nation.

Two ghosts guarded the gates.

They both wore armour, cladded in metal and impenetrable steel. By their waist, a scabbard of a sword was attached to the leather belt. The guarding ghosts had one hand touching the scabbard, ready to slice anyone's neck off if they intrude.

The line of people kept moving.

Many of them were admitted as ghosts, and entered through the gates.

"YOU TWO ARE NEXT!" The man in grey robes and his companion were called on. They smoothly walked towards the gates. Hidden underneath their robes were swords, ready to be pulled anytime for battle.

"Hmm..." One of the two ghost guards had keenly watched them.

The man in grey robes remained unfaltering at the gaze.

"Yo, are you two ghosts?" The ghost guard had huffed. "You guys don't smell like us."

The man in grey robes had countered, "We encountered some humans along the way. That might be why."

Multiple gazes had stuck to his body. His companion sighed, "Enough. Can't we enter?"

They both had applied extra powder on their faces to pale themselves. Both were cultivators, and had to retrieve the aura they emitted, just for the sake to look like ghosts.

"Hey." The ghost guards scoffed. "You don't make the deals here. Don't inquire any further."

The man in grey robes and his companion had shut up.

"Show us your wound." The ghost guard demanded. "That will prove your identity."

The man in grey robes had looked at his companion. They didn't have any wounds, because they were cultivators, not ghosts.

"Hurry up." The ghost guard snapped.

It seemed like forever. Then, the man in grey robes had coughed, "I'm afraid that my death is from an internal injury, not a wound."

The ghost guard blinked. "You better not be lying."

"I'm not." The man in grey robes stated. His eyes told no hint of lying.

"What about you." The ghost guards turned to look at the companion.

The companion faked a blush and embarrassed appearance. "Actually, I may have been... injured while... in bed. I'm afraid to show my wound-"

He was interrupted by a loud laughter.

The ghost guard laughed hysterically. "OH MY FUCKING GOD! YOU DIED IN BED!?! I wonder which woman did such a funny thing. That is the greatest piece of news I've heard in centuries. Go on go on. I'll spare you from your fucking misery. Thanks for making all us other ghosts feel better." When laughing, the ghost guard had thrown his head backwards, with his neck bending in an arch.

Dark coloured veins coated his neck, running up and down like a feverish waterfall.

"Thank you." The companion muttered. He pulled along the man in grey robes. They had only stepped one foot past the gates, when...

A current of wind swept past their necks.

They turned around, meeting with the sight of a sharp and glinting sword, about to stab at their faces—

CLANG! The sword was quickly blocked, and a gust of wind rushed outwards, solidifying like water freezing into ice.

The temperature in the air had dropped.

"I KNEW YOU TWO WEREN'T GHOSTS!" The ghost guard had spat spitefully. He glared at the person who blocked his own incoming strike.

"WHO ARE YOU!"

The man in grey robes and his companion were startled. Before them, blocking the ghost guard's sword from striking them was: a mysterious man dressed in white robes. This mysterious man wore a bamboo hat, with a white translucent veil draped across the hem.

This mysterious man had only raised a slender hand, and the ghost guard's sword struck it upon impact. However, this hand wasn't only not damaged, but it remained perfectly in one piece!

The man in grey robes had paled. Does this mysterious man have metal for a hand?

"YOU GUYS ALL MUSTN'T BE GHOSTS!" The ghost guards roared in anger. "HUMANS ARE NOT ALLOWED TO ENTER GHOST NATION! OTHERWISE... EXECUTION WILL BE CARRIED OUT!"

They withdrew their swords, only to strike it back at the mysterious man.

The mysterious man was unfazed. In fact, he didn't move at all.

The man in grey robes had hurriedly called out, "Benefactor!"

Suddenly, the ghost guards tripped. They tumbled over on the ground, bruising their skin to a hideous colour of thunderous purple.

"THIS! WHAT IS THIS!?!" They roared.

All of a sudden, a man dressed in red and black robes had dashed out from the crowd. The man in red and black robes had thrown out another two pebbles, knocking the ghost guards onto their knees.

"BLASPHEMY!" The ghost guards coughed.

The pebbles were flicked at their faces, relaying bruises.

"DAMN IT!!!" The pebbles had been coated in spiritual energy, which directly inflicted harm to the ghosts. Any other normal pebbles wouldn't be able to do the same.

The ghost guards shot a glare at the man wearing black and red robes.

Instead, the latter just shot back a playful tongue.

"Hurry." The mysterious man in the bamboo hat nudged them. Coming back to themselves, the two grey robed men had followed behind their saviour.

The ghost guards noticed them slipping away.

"GET THEM!"

In an instant, more ghost soldiers had flooded the gates. The mysterious man in the bamboo hat, and the two grey robed men were trapped in the encirclement.

"...what do we do?" The grey robed man wanted to swear.

Then, his companion shoved him a look.

Seeing this, the grey robed man understood. He didn't need to panic. There was this mysterious man wearing a bamboo hat, who was extraordinary in martial arts and cultivation. With one hand, he managed to block a ghost's sword.

This man mustn't be simple!

"On your left!" A sudden call had announced.

The two grey robed men were startled. They instinctively turned to their left, only to find a ghost soldier pounding on them-

A pebble knocked the ghost soldier flying, leaving the two cultivators untouched.

The mysterious man wearing the bamboo hat had looked up.

On the ground landed the man wearing black and red robes. He had shamelessly stretched his shoulders while yawning, "Xie-xiong, I thought we were going to deal with them efficiently?"

The mysterious man wearing the bamboo hat had laughed. "I couldn't help it."

All of a sudden, more ghost soldiers arrived. They unsheathed their blades, revealing a dangerous glint. A desire for blood had grown in their eyes.

As ghosts, they naturally had resentment.

This resentment had only grown stronger at the thought of someone trespassing their territory. "EXECUTE THE INTRUDERS! NO ONE IS ALLOWED TO LEAVE HERE ALIVE!"

"Annoying." The man in black and red robes had sighed.

For some reason, the two grey robed cultivators found this man... familiar...?

Two ghost soldiers charged at them, in the centre of the encirclement. They waved their swords wildly, but no matter how hard they attacked, the blade could never meet the two mysterious men.

The ghost soldiers gritted their teeth.

Then, they set their sights on the two grey robed men.

"Back off." They unsheathed their swords as well, ready to fight. However, the ghost soldiers were terrifyingly strong.

Their swords clashed, with metallic sparks bursting from the impact.

"I'LL KILL EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU!" The ghost soldiers were dripping in bloodlust. Thy swung their swords, managing to cut up a few small wounds on the two grey robed cultivators.

The bamboo hat man saw this. "We need backup."

The man in black and red robes received this. He quickly blew between two fingers, allowing a piercing whistle to rip through the skies.

The ghost soldiers didn't let the whistle interrupt them.

One of them extended out a claw at the two cultivators, clearly trying to rip their heads off-

In an instant, a sword penetrated the ghost through the skull. His dead body dispersing, the ghost soldier was killed.

"WHO!?!" The remaining ghost soldiers had shrieked.

Another man in black and red robes had jumped down from above the gates. It turned out that there was someone up above the gates the entire time!

This man had a bulky and masculine figure. On his forehead was a red demonic mark.

"Scram." He polished his blade, then charged. Several ghost soldiers were slain from this demonic man, who didn't even bat an eye, as ghosts' bodies had dispersed one by one.

"FUCK YOU!" A ghost soldier was absolutely enraged.

The demonic man raised an eyebrow. "I don't fuck ghosts...?"

The ghost soldier was surprised. What kind of logic was that? I just wanted to curse you! But before he could finish thinking, a blade ripped through his skull. The demonic man watched with a deadpanned expression, as the ghost soldier vanished before his eyes.

"DON'T STOP! CAPTURE THEM ALL!" The ghost soldiers roared.

Many more ghost soldiers joined the fight. As they died, more added to the chaos. The ghost soldiers charged at the centre of the encirclement, their swords stabbing ahead.

All of a sudden, their bodies were all pierced by something-

By reflex, the ghost soldiers arched their backs, feeling an emptiness drilled into their abdomen. It turned out, several pointed leaves were poured of spiritual energy, penetrating the ghosts like a shotgun.

A beautiful man walked down the pathway. He fanned himself, with not a single dirt stained on his green robes. His eyes fluttered open, and he snapped his fan shut.

In his palm were several leaves, all full of his spiritual energy.

Then, the leaves shot at the ghost soldiers. Many ghost soldiers had been stabbed by the leaves, with their bodies vanishing from loss of their spiritual energy.

"Shizun!" The demonic man looked lovingly at the new figure.

"Keep fighting. Don't stop." The man with the fan commanded.

One utilized his sword to cut enemies apart, the other utilized his leaves to penetrate. While, the shameless black and red robed man had dodged sword after sword. He was still in the middle of the mess, dodging and blocking ghosts from their assault.

The bamboo hat man did the same, while blocking attacks for the two grey robed cultivators.

"Take this!" The shameless black and red robed man flipped. He shot a kick at a ghosts' groin, and the latter recoiled from pain.

A leaf covered in spiritual energy penetrated that ghost, with only ashes remaining.

However, as they fought, more ghost soldiers came to the battle. It was practically impossible to fight all of them at the same time...

"GET DOWN!" Out of nowhere, a ghost soldier cried.

Behind him, hundreds of ghost soldiers took out their bow and arrows. On the tip were ignited with fire, then, they aimed... and shot.

Hundreds of aflame arrows charged at the cultivators...

It was like the sun had descended personally to charge them with treason...

Suddenly, a ripple broke through the air. Vibrations sent the entire body of earth and land into tremor, with rocks pitter-pattering down shaking buildings, and decaying wood snapping in halves. A sound of guqin strings played, sending the world into silence.

Then, a figure in white robes had descended.

His sleeves had gracefully danced, as if dolphins were swinging their tails back and forth in a calming sea, with the waves moving along to the beat.

"You're here!" The shameless man in black and red robes had exclaimed.

The man with the guqin had landed quietly on the ground. It was so quiet that even a pin drop could be heard.

The arrows had fallen to the ground, with the fire extinguished.

Seeing no other options left, the ghost soldiers all charged simultaneously at the rebels. "GUYS!" The mysterious man wearing the bamboo hat had bellowed. He waved towards the centre of the encirclement. Everyone else understood what he meant.

The shameless man, peerless man with the guqin, man with the fan, and the man with the demonic mark had all circled together in the centre.

Only the two grey robed cultivators watched them with confusion. What was going on?

There was too many ghost soldiers to deal with. There was no way they could escape this. Thus, they must fight head on!

The two grey robed cultivators were excited to watch these five cultivators fight.

Instead, they heard the bamboo hat man yell, "Let's escape!"

The two grey robed cultivators, "..." Pardon?

Ooh! We have new characters! Who are these two grey robed cultivators? Why is it that they find Wei Wuxian familiar?

A) Pssh! Who haven't heard of the Yiling Patriarch before?

B) They're just some people passing by. Nobody important

C) We don't care about side characters

D) Dunno. Let the story unfold itself...?