I am the Ruler of the Kingdom of Mysterious-Chapter 343 - 307: Immortal Realm in the Mountains
Though the scene was somewhat horrifying, the soldiers could still accept it without being so frightened that they would turn and run away.
The war in Qinzhou was tense, and all the Daoists specializing in Corpse Control from temples across Qinzhou had come forth, using the bodies of fallen soldiers to nurture white-haired zombies.
Some continued to resist the rebel army, while others helped transport provisions and supplies from the rear. The load-bearing capacity of the white-haired zombies far exceeded that of living people.
If there is a Daoist skilled in Corpse Control managing the transportation of provisions, it would save many soldiers, be much safer, and there would be no need to worry about evil spirits or evil ghosts intercepting the path.
The leading officer glanced at the brothers beside him. Their investigations clearly showed that Qingfeng Temple had been recruiting workers, and in several nearby villages, apart from the elderly, many villagers had disappeared without reason. It was said they were working in Qingfeng Temple, seeking shelter, and avoiding conscription.
The people from these villages, along with the refugees who had previously come from Qinzhou, numbered at least two to three thousand. After entering Qingfeng Temple, not a single one was seen again?
They had come this time to thoroughly investigate this matter.
The officer directly questioned Yao Zhen. Upon hearing this, Yao Zhen said, "You are wronging me. If I really had so many people, why would I need these zombies to work? If you want, you can search the place. Aside from me, if you find a single living person, feel free to take them away, I won’t say a word."
Yao Zhen took out a Dao Bell and shook it. The dozen or so zombies immediately put down the bricks and wood they were holding and jumped behind Yao Zhen, standing in a line.
The officer ordered his men to search the place thoroughly, and after the search, they indeed did not find a single person.
"Officer, there is a small path at the back yard, seemingly leading into the mountain. I remember this place was once called Jinfeng Mountain, where bandits often roamed."
"We need to search the mountain at the back," the officer said to Yao Zhen.
Yao Zhen made a gesture of invitation, "Feel free to search, but don’t say I didn’t warn you. When I filed with the government, I mentioned that there are fierce evil ghosts in the mountain, which has become a Death Domain. I established this Taoist Temple here to use the Power of Daoist Lord to suppress that Death Domain and slowly erode the power of the evil ghosts within the mountain."
Upon hearing this, several soldiers backed away in fear, as they were not part of the Evil Suppression Bureau and had no incense burner protection. If they stepped into the Death Domain, they wouldn’t last fifteen minutes before perishing.
But the officer was still unwilling to give up and led his men along the back yard path to explore the mountain. Upon passing through the woods and reaching the gorge entrance at Chaotian Pass, the sky suddenly darkened, the air became cold and damp, the surrounding trees were no longer lush but shriveled up, and their branches were bare, looking claw-like like ghosts.
The branches had many red threads hanging, swaying in the wind, making the atmosphere eerie.
Seeing this, the group finally believed that this place had indeed turned into a Death Domain. They quickly retreated back to the Taoist Temple, praised ’Daoist Yao Zhen’s noble righteousness,’ and hurriedly fled.
The group ran ten miles away from Qingfeng Temple, and by a roadside pavilion, a man clad in luxurious attire was waiting. After the officer dismounted, he headed straight to the pavilion.
Zhao Jingquan, the third son of the Zhao Family, one of the three major wealthy merchants in Jinzhou, personally offered the officer a cup of tea and inquired, "How was it? Were you able to find anything unusual in Qingfeng Temple?"
The officer drank the tea in one gulp, "There’s nothing normal about Qingfeng Temple; it’s too bizarre! Apart from that Kun Dao, there isn’t a single living person in the temple. Furthermore, the gorge path leading to the interior of Jinfeng Mountain is covered by the Death Domain. No one knows the current situation inside, and I reckon there can’t be any living person back there."
Zhao Jingquan narrowed his eyes, "That’s strange, then where did Miss Zhang Junyao from the Zhang Family get her glutinous rice, vermillion, Ten Victory Stone, and Thunderstruck Wood? My people have been watching Zhang Junyao for over two months. She has only ever interacted with the temple master of Qingfeng Temple, personally delivering goods there several times, so her supply sources must be related to Qingfeng Temple."
The officer waved his hand, "Whether it’s related or not is none of my business; that’s a deadly Death Domain. You better find someone else to investigate. Goodbye!"
Zhao Jingquan signaled with his eyes for the old servant beside him to give the money bag to the officer, watching the group walk away.
"It seems that Kun Dao is hiding something deep, and there must be more beyond Qingfeng Temple. We must find some capable individuals to investigate further."
...
By dusk, Yao Zhen, who had been drawing talismans all afternoon in the temple, yawned, tidied up the talisman papers on the desk, and prepared to close up and head back into the mountain.
Just as she locked the front gate, she heard the sound of numerous footsteps from outside.
Yao Zhen reopened the door and saw six people outside, led by a young man dressed as a scholar, with five others of similar age, dressed in coarse cloth garments typical of farm households.
Wu Chonglin cupped his hands in salute, and just as he opened his mouth, Yao Zhen said, "Seeking refuge?"
Wu Chonglin was momentarily stunned, and then, along with the five behind him, nodded in unison.
"Come in then."
Yao Zhen let them in, and Wu Chonglin explained their intentions on behalf of the group.
Lately, many surrounding villages had faced forced conscription and grain requisition. The rumor of an Immortal Realm in Bright Moon Mountain was deliberately spread by them to attract those who had nowhere else to go into the mountain to seek refuge, thereby increasing the population of Bright Moon Mountain.
In response, Yao Zhen was somewhat conflicted. On the one hand, she didn’t want to see the people’s livelihoods destroyed; on the other hand, she thought that if everyone avoided conscription, how could Qinzhou’s rebellion be suppressed? In the end, the situation would only worsen, leading to national chaos.
She had been pondering this issue lately, and unable to find an answer, she decided to first accomplish what she could do.
Yao Zhen led the group through the front courtyard of the Taoist Temple to the under-construction middle courtyard.
Seeing a row of zombies in the corner, the group gasped softly, huddling together in fear.
"Rest assured, they won’t harm people."
Yao Zhen spoke as she looked around, but unable to find anything, she murmured a few words of a spell and ran her fingers over her eyelids. Only then could she see the small Yin Child sitting on the wall, looking up at the sky and swinging its legs.
This little guy has been advancing too quickly, following Sang Mulan lately. Yao Zhen had to open her eyes to see its form clearly.
"Ahem!"
Yao Zhen cleared her throat, and the Yin Child snapped to attention, its scarlet eyes crossed over Yao Zhen and scanned the group behind her one by one. After a moment, it nodded to Yao Zhen, indicating that they were all good people who hadn’t committed evil acts like rape, plunder, or murder.
"Come with me."
Yao Zhen led the six people to Chaotian Pass, and after entering the forest, the six felt the eerie and terrifying atmosphere around them, trembling all over.
"Ahead is a Death Domain. To find a safe haven, you must first pass through this Death Domain. Now, you must decide whether to continue forward or leave now."
Wu Chonglin and the others exchanged glances, thinking of their aging parents at home and the many women and children in the village waiting for them to bring back good news. They gritted their teeth and nodded.
Yao Zhen lit a torch and took the lead.
"Within the Death Domain, there are two rules: first, do not run; second, do not shout. As long as you follow these two rules and ignore everything around you, you can walk out of the Death Domain."
Upon hearing this, the six immediately covered their mouths, closely following Yao Zhen, matching her pace step for step.
The gorge was devoid of vegetation, filled with white debris and animal bones.
The cliffs were lined with dry branches, entwined with strands of red thread, eerily dancing and trailing down, tracing across the group.
Dreadful happenings like hanged ghosts suddenly appearing, faint cries, and the sound of children laughing and running intensified the terrifying atmosphere.
Sweat drenched them as they dared not breathe heavily. If not for Yao Zhen always being in front, they would likely have fainted from fear.
At the end of the gorge, the dark fog gradually thinned, the chill dissipated, and a hint of dusk’s red light appeared on the horizon, illuminating a solid city wall over ten meters high between the mountains.
There were sentry posts on either side of the city wall and a dozen or so zombies patrolling back and forth.
"Ladder!"
Yao Zhen called out from below, and Pei Li, who was guarding the pass above, looked down, immediately called for a ladder, and allowed Yao Zhen and the group to climb up the wall.
The city gate was too heavy to open when there were few people, so they used ladders to climb over the wall for passage.
Once Wu Chonglin and the others climbed up, the scene within Bright Moon Mountain unfolded before them, leaving them stunned and in disbelief.
In the glow of the sunset, vast farmlands spread across the valleys, waves of wheat gently swayed with the wind, heavy and full heads of grain bowed low.
Clear streams flowed along channels into the fields, waterwheels slowly turned, and their creaking was extremely pleasant.
Smoke curled from the chimney of farmhouses and village settlements by the fields. People, smiling and greeting each other, were carrying hoes, wrapping up their day’s work and preparing to head home.
Children herded flocks of sheep and ducks, playing and laughing between fields. In the distance, a magnificent city was seemingly under construction in the center of the valley, its full form hidden by the distance.
"At birth, human nature is good. The nature of all is similar, but their habits diverge..."
The clear sound of reading drifted in the wind from a nearby village settlement, captivating Wu Chonglin.
Such a paradise truly exists; they are saved!
