Twilight Boundary-Chapter 565 - 556: Establishing the Mingzhou Altar
"The Magic Altar has decreed, as urgent as an Imperial Decree!"
At the same time, in a place extremely far from Mingzhou, there was a row of fences made of osmanthus branches. This fence wasn’t very long, only stretching three miles, yet this short stretch of fence seemed to separate Official Zhou from Mingzhou.
Hungry ghosts, whose eyes would turn red for a single grain of food, wandered aimlessly but did not take one step into Mingzhou.
Yet now, many openings had been made in the fence.
In the air, misty white figures held three incense sticks. They appeared faintly, walking slowly forward. A procession of hungry ghosts followed, sniffing the incense’s aroma as they trudged mistily on.
Protected by ghostly gods, they traveled a hundred miles in a moment, leading more and more hungry ghosts to gather before Mingzhou Prefecture.
However, at that moment, a vague and hazy voice suddenly filled the air. These white figures looked up blankly, as if seeing burning talisman papers flying in front of them, an authoritative voice entering their ears.
Upon hearing the voice from the talismans, they all bowed while holding their incense and received their orders. Then, they suddenly quickened their pace, slightly adjusted their direction, and headed straight for various locations in Mingzhou Prefecture.
"We replaced several groups to shout until their voices were hoarse, but there was no response from the enemy camp, and those hungry ghosts outside remained unresponsive, as if they couldn’t hear."
At this moment in Yang Gong’s tent, a report came that was completely unexpected.
They had initially thought that the swarm of hungry ghosts would immediately react like disturbed hornets and attack en masse. Yet, surprisingly, after suffering two setbacks, they had changed their attitude dramatically, merely shrinking back in front of Mingzhou City, unwilling to come out.
A sudden oppressive feeling filled everyone’s hearts. If the enemy attacked, it would naturally be nerve-racking, but now that they didn’t attack, it became even more unsettling.
"Our luck is bad..."
Even the Iron Mouth Think Tank sighed, saying, "In battle formations, we most look forward to encountering those with anxious temperaments and no brains. I initially thought we had met such a group..."
"Now it seems those hungry ghosts, though mindless, are led by someone who isn’t a fool."
"Since that’s the case, it won’t be easy to gain a significant advantage again. We’ll have to send out our forces. First, we must persuade the villages everywhere to gather the young and strong to protect the grain. We currently have over 15,000 soldiers, but that’s still not enough for Mingzhou."
"Next, we must set up our formations, prepare our stance, and get ready for a head-on collision with the enemy!"
"..."
His arrangements remained orderly, and in these few short days, the preparation of armor and seals became more thorough than before. However, when it came to the prospect of a direct confrontation, there was clearly a lack of confidence in his voice.
Nonetheless, they had no choice but to proceed with these arrangements, setting things up one by one, waiting for this great battle.
Just then, someone suddenly reported, "Something bad has happened! Hungry ghosts have been spotted in the Xiaoliang County area in the south, and they are raiding villages to steal grain..."
"Several villages have already been ravaged with no survivors..."
"..."
"What?"
Everyone in the tent was shocked by the news. They were still holding Zhu Men Town, yet Xiaoliang County was south of Mingzhou, a hundred or two hundred miles away. How could hungry ghosts suddenly appear there?
In the midst of shock and chaos, more messages kept coming in, "Hungry ghosts have been spotted in Zhaoshui Village, eating grain everywhere..."
"A nest of Madmen has appeared in Meng Village, and they are devouring people..."
"..."
As the news spread, everyone felt chills down their spines. In the crowd, Bai Shanzi was utterly stunned, unable to close the fan he held, muttering dumbly, "It’s ruined, it’s ruined, the most terrifying scene has appeared..."
For a moment, they looked at each other, speechless; even the Beef Avoidance Sect Disciples couldn’t find words. The hungry ghosts were ferocious, but if they faced them head-on, with collective strategies, there might be ways to resist a bit.
But now, hungry ghosts were everywhere in Mingzhou. The Food Protection Army was besieged from both sides. The critical problem was that the Food Protection Army consisted of youths gathered from various places. Now that their villages were reported to have suffered disaster, then... how could they possibly fight this battle?
In their panic, they all instinctively looked toward the Iron Mouth Think Tank and the Food Protection General Yang Gong, hoping for directions. However, they saw Yang Gong gritting his teeth, while the Iron Mouth Think Tank unexpectedly appeared calm.
"Why the panic?"
Meeting their gazes, he said blandly, "I was also panicked earlier, but after hearing this news, there is no need to be nervous anymore."
He slowly exhaled and said, "Didn’t they all say there was a noble person in Mingzhou?"
"Such a noble person is certainly not dead."
"..."
Everyone was astonished, and more than a few had a thought stuck in their hearts: Not Eating Beef has always opposed noble people, but now you’re putting your hopes on such a noble person?
Seemingly seeing through the thoughts of the crowd, Iron Mouth took a deep breath, waved his hand without saying more, but understood in his heart: Regardless of what that noble person is like, since our Not Eating Beef Sect Leader has mingled beside that foolish young master, he certainly has his arrangements!
"Phew..."
Earlier, when Yang Gong’s camp received the news, an evil wind suddenly awoke Hu Ma in Zhu Men Town.
He looked at the three incense sticks before him. Their incense form, once auspicious, now burned into an ominous shape. Especially since the incense was enjoyed by the Red Lantern Lady, it had been crafted most delicately, yet now it was releasing wisps of black smoke, extremely eerie.
He sat still, letting the black smoke waft into his eyes. In his blurred vision, he seemed to see strange shadows across Mingzhou. Clad in white robes and high hats, they held three incense sticks and walked the path between yin and yang.
Behind these shadows followed many hungry ghosts, stupefied and bewildered. Ghostly mist trailed them. Wherever they went, blessings were utterly destroyed, and even plants seemed cloaked in a withering aura.
At that moment, his expression was quite peculiar; when the moment he had been waiting for finally arrived, there was no joy.
Perhaps due to the limitations of identity, even after two lifetimes, there are always times when one sees things they never believed could happen before their eyes...
Maybe some people, no matter how much imagination one uses, even thinking of them at their lowest limits, always have the ability to easily break through it, right?
Thinking these thoughts, his demeanor appeared very calm. He opened his eyes and looked towards Mingzhou Prefecture. He saw layers of incense smoke rising like clouds, surging and billowing. The smoke drifted out of the city, seemingly capable of covering all of Mingzhou.
Suddenly, a rare trace of fierceness flashed across his face. Raising his hand abruptly, the Punishment Officer’s Great Saber flew into his grasp, and he stabbed it fiercely into the ground in front of him.
Taking a deep breath, he blew sharply on the black bone of the hilt.
With a ROAR, akin to a violent wind, it swept from Zhu Men Town instantly and rushed across all of Mingzhou.
At that moment, nobody knew that across the villages, the mountaintops, the hillsides, beside the wells in the fields, more and more altars had been erected—some larger, some smaller, some orderly, some merely a simple incense table.
In front of these altars stood Ghost Walkers who usually roamed the streets, alleys, villages, and towns. They sensed this wave of ominous energy. Instantly, the candles on the altars and incense tables blazed three to four feet high.
Similarly, as altars dotted the land, covering One State, many sneaky things appeared. In the mountains and wilderness, in creeks and deep valleys, from under beds and tree roots, from tomb windows and mountain mounds, they emerged, summoned by mysterious voices, though they should not have shown themselves so easily.
In eyes misted by the blowing wind, one could see a high hall and mansion where a figure slowly walked out, speaking in a deep voice:
"Evil demons create chaos, stealing the people’s blessings, leading to the disorder of yin and yang, the universal order is slighted. I cannot remain indifferent.
"Zhensui Mansion leads the Ghost Walkers of the world. It shall suppress evil spirits, slay Human Demons, fend off calamities, and pacify the yin evil spirits. Where righteousness lies, they act under the command of Heaven. This is proclaimed to the world, enforcing orders here. We invite the ghostly gods of Heaven and Earth to bear witness:
"Now, with the hungry ghosts of Official Zhou aiding Evil demons, brazenly invading Mingzhou, and disrespecting ghostly gods, let all in Mingzhou, regardless of status, spirits, or cultivation level, heed the Zhensui Mansion Order!
"Kill those who harm the living of Mingzhou!
"Kill those who deceive Mingzhou’s yin souls!
"Kill those who disturb Mingzhou’s spirits!
"Kill those who steal Mingzhou’s grain!
"Kill those who break the rules, disrupt yin and yang, and destroy qi! Kill! Kill! Kill!
"The orders begin in Mingzhou, for a duration of one day and night. Skills are not sealed, Magic is not banned. Yin and yang may be in disarray, life and death are of no concern. Any sins of the underworld will not be attributed to those who carry out these orders, but will be solely...
"...borne by the lord of Zhensui’s own family!"
The voice, carried by the gusting yin wind, suddenly spread throughout every village and town in Mingzhou. The air abruptly filled with yin souls, gathering and obscuring the sun, moon, and stars.
For a moment, from the wild hills and tombs, behind each Magic Altar, in the villages and countryside, all the Ghost Walkers, wandering foxes, and water sprites heard this. Their excited cheers resounded into the deep night, echoing continuously.
Whether it was Aunt Zhang, who had also found a place to earnestly set up an altar, or Seventh Aunt, sitting politely in a sedan chair visiting relatives and friends, they both heard the commotion. One’s face changed suddenly, lips trembling; the other’s narrow face broke into a broad smile.
And with this wave of yin energy sweeping through all of Mingzhou, even including the methods of Old Yin Mountain, the Magic Altars in every location—their energies had already merged, as if one body.
It was imposing and grand, forming a Magic Altar based on the entire land of Mingzhou. Its magnitude was indescribable. Compared to it, Mingzhou City was like a grain of rice before a millstone.
In Zhu Men Town, Hu Ma finished speaking and coldly smiled as he stood and walked toward the Demon Suppression Golden Mace. "A Ghost Walker’s duel is just this simple, isn’t it?"
"You set up an altar, I will set up an even bigger one!"
"You summon evil things, then I will summon something more powerful!"
"You’ve all been urging me to show myself quickly, then... I will indeed reveal myself and have a good talk with you now!"
