Chapter 132: The Talking Lion-Wolf Beast King

"Enemies who have nothing left to lose are the most difficult to deal with. When fighting others, they sometimes resort to suicidal tactics, putting their own lives on the line to break through. If both sides are evenly matched, a single moment of negligence is enough to lead to defeat," Wei Xiaoping remarked.

King Gaoyang replied, "You are quite right, brother. It is precisely because I know the Wolf-Lion Beast Ghost King so well that I ordered Wang Jiming to return and bring several hundred elite ghost soldiers. We must crush the enemy's momentum quickly; we cannot let their interference delay your return to the living world!"

Seeing how thoughtful King Gaoyang was, Wei Xiaoping was deeply moved. "Thank you for your concern, brother. It is a pity that my time to return is so pressing; otherwise, I would gladly stay longer to keep you company."

As they spoke, they unknowingly drew within a few hundred meters of the Black River bank.

Suddenly, a massive shadow, as large as a house, surged from the water near the eastern shore. Cascades of black water tumbled from its top like a dark waterfall. Following this, fifty or sixty figures, each the size of a full-grown ox, erupted from the surface. They gathered in a chaotic formation in front of the massive shadow, appearing to guard it. Ripples of black water surged toward King Gaoyang and his party, though by the time they reached them, the waves had dissipated into mere gentle ripples.

King Gaoyang squinted, stunned. "Well, talk of the devil, and he appears! Ha ha ha!"

Seeing the fifty or sixty shadows, the Underworld Hounds, Boss Ma and Niu Dahua, immediately rushed in front of King Gaoyang and Wei Xiaoping, barking fiercely. King Gaoyang’s retainers also stepped forward, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the hounds, weapons raised in a defensive stance to shield them.

Hearing the idiom, Wei Xiaoping wondered, *Is it really as he said? Has the Wolf-Lion Beast Ghost King truly come to block my path?*

"Brother, is that really the Wolf-Lion Beast Ghost King ahead?" Wei Xiaoping asked.

"Indeed. It seems a fierce battle is unavoidable," King Gaoyang replied.

"Why didn't they intercept us along the way? Why wait until we reached the water near the bank?"

King Gaoyang explained, "They are blocking your path here because you and the two hounds carry an aura that bypasses the King of Hell’s sealing curse on the Black River Prison. If you are willing to take them out, there is no need for violence. If you refuse, they will use force to subdue you or grab hold of you as you fly out, forcing you to drag them along. Since we are near the shore and you are in a rush, you will have little room to resist, and they will likely succeed."

Only then did Wei Xiaoping understand their strategy, and for the first time, he realized that he and the hounds possessed the power to circumvent the eternal seal placed by the King of Hell.

*If King Gaoyang knows this, yet never asks me to take him out—knowing that escaping this prison is the dream of millions—it shows that in his thousands of years here, he has truly attained a higher level of wisdom,* Wei Xiaoping thought.

"Let those beasts dream on," Wei Xiaoping said, his voice calm but firm. "Even if I were to be trapped here forever, I would never violate the rules to take them out. Even if the rules didn't explicitly forbid it, I would not betray my conscience. These creatures were a plague upon the living world, and even here in prison, they harm innocent souls. If they were released to be reincarnated, who knows how much suffering they would cause? It is better that such vicious things remain locked away forever."

King Gaoyang nodded. "Indeed. They are born of wild animal souls and can never shed their savage nature. Regardless of the cost, I will not let them drag you down."

"Thank you, brother. I cannot repay your kindness now, but once I return to the living world, I will strive to perform good deeds. When my time comes and I return to the underworld, I will plead with the King of Hell to show you mercy and grant you a chance at reincarnation," Wei Xiaoping promised.

King Gaoyang laughed. "Ha ha! Do not trouble yourself with that. I have long since come to terms with my fate. When I was first imprisoned, I resisted, crashing against the banks from north to south, east to west, but to no avail. I realized the seal was absolute. Since then, I have reflected on my past sins and accepted my punishment. Helping new souls find their way back to the living world brings me fulfillment and joy. Whether I leave or not matters little, though, of course, the chance to return and do good in the world of the living would be meaningful."

Just then, the Wolf-Lion Beast Ghost King and his pack reached them.

"King Gaoyang, it has been a long time!" a low, raspy voice echoed from the pack.

Wei Xiaoping and King Gaoyang watched closely; the creatures’ mouths remained shut, yet the voice was clear.

"Wolf-Lion Beast Ghost King, it has indeed been decades. Thank you for remembering me," King Gaoyang replied, skeptical. "I am surprised to see you have learned to speak the language of human ghosts. You have certainly made progress."

"And have you not, King Gaoyang? Ha ha! Otherwise, why bring only a dozen soldiers to escort your friend?" the beast retorted.

King Gaoyang felt a chill. Not only had the beast grown dozens of times larger in these decades, but its ability to speak human language suggested it had reached a terrifying new level of cultivation. This was clearly a dangerous encounter.