Twilight Boundary-Chapter 578 - 569: Evil Ghost Enters the Flag

"Justice, justice!"

Things had become incomprehensible. Zhong Benyi, the Heavenly Destiny General of such high status, willingly knelt before the Zhensui Mansion. Clearly, it was time for him to be beheaded, yet he showed no fear. Instead, he laughed heartily. "From Official Zhou to Mingzhou, of all I've encountered, there is nothing more just than this!"

As he spoke, he reached out, tore the clothes from his body, ripped off a piece, then bit his finger and wrote a petition in blood. He handed it up with both hands. Hu Ma raised his hand and received it.

With a chilling voice, Hu Ma said, "I promise you before all the people of the world, regarding the calamity of Official Zhou—whether it be human, ghost, demon, god, or anything else—as long as the Zhensui Mansion exists, we will avenge you!"

The Heavenly Destiny General listened, only nodding repeatedly, as if he had forgotten how to respond.

As he knelt before the Zhensui Mansion, the group of hungry ghosts who had already revived finally reacted. Their minds were simple and they knew little; they didn't even understand why the Heavenly Destiny General knelt, but they hurriedly followed his lead and kowtowed.

"Brothers, neighbors, remember the words of the Zhensui Mansion! We must admit our sins. Those ghostly gods have always followed us, waiting to see when we can atone for these sins. Let's repay them now."

"If this death isn't enough, then we will transform into ghost soldiers and continue repaying. If this grievance can be addressed and we repay our debts, we will leave clear and untainted."

"If no one addresses this grievance, we will fight our way out of the underworld and return to this world to seek justice!"

His words were forceful and resonant, filled with hatred and resentment, yet undeniably carried a certain power. And those hungry ghosts laughed and cried, their expressions frenzied as they nodded repeatedly. Their cries arose, yet no sorrow could be discerned; and though they laughed, no joy was evident. But following the Heavenly Destiny General, they knelt. Even upon hearing the word 'death,' they merely kowtowed, seemingly accepting his words.

"Kill me!" The Heavenly Destiny General took another step forward, tore open his tunic, faced the Zhensui Mansion, and said candidly to Hu Ma, "Come and chop off my head, and take me to see this grievance addressed!"

"You are a living person," Hu Ma said, nodding at him. "The sword of the Zhensui Mansion does not kill the living." He suddenly turned, calling out to Yang Gong, the Food Protection General, who stood by the altar, "Food Protection General, lend me your sword and your men. Since you are the Food Protection General, this grain-thieving Evil Ghost should be cut down by you."

"You have them," Yang Gong replied. He had heard the Heavenly Destiny General's resentful complaints and had also seen the Zhensui Mansion accept his petition. No one knew what impact these scenes had on him, but at this moment, he loudly agreed and stepped forward.

Zhong Benyi turned to face south, towards the mountain folk from whom he had once stolen grain. He spoke no words of apology, but his kneeling was willing. Then he bowed his head, exposing his neck.

Beside Mingzhou Prefecture, the hungry ghosts, surrounded layer by layer by the Food Protection Army, also bowed their heads, foreheads touching the ground, a vast expanse of silence spreading among them.

"No rush!" But at that moment, Hu Ma hesitated slightly from behind the desk, stopping Yang Gong, who was approaching with the blade.

In an instant, Yang Gong, the Eldest Son of Meng Family nearby, the Food Protection Army soldiers, and even the Heavenly Destiny General and the hungry ghosts, all simultaneously turned to look at him. For a long time, no one spoke, their eyes filled with a degree of doubt.

Hu Ma sighed softly, saying, "Let them have a full meal before they go on their way!"

Yang Gong paused, then immediately waved, ordering someone to make arrangements. The Heavenly Destiny General Zhong Benyi suddenly froze, his lips trembling. He stared hard at the figure representing the Zhensui Mansion on the platform, seemingly wanting to say something, but in the end, he only gave a bitter smile. Shaking his head, he accepted the arrangements made by the man on the altar. As if deliberately appearing more relaxed, he said to Yang Gong beside him, "Brother, is your blade sharp?"

Yang Gong lifted his treasure sword, revealing its gleaming edge. "This sword was given to me by a brother, who also saved my life. He told me to remember my origins, so I know who needs to be killed. Because I know who to kill, I never hesitate when I draw my sword. That's why this blade is exceptionally fast and kills without being stained by blood."

"My blood is unclean," Zhong Benyi said, glancing sideways at Yang Gong. He then whispered, "It's best if it doesn't stain your blade. You are also a good man. It's a pity I was born in Official Zhou. If I had been born in a place like Mingzhou, I might not have been inferior to you."

"You're envious of me?" Yang Gong asked, shaking his head at Zhong Benyi's words. "You shouldn't envy me. I've had a hard life. From childhood, I was either starving or fighting for my life with my head on the line. I've rarely had a peaceful day. It's always been me envying others."

Zhong Benyi asked, "For whom did you fight?"

Yang Gong replied, "At first, for myself. Later, for those like me who couldn't get enough to eat and had no way to survive."

Zhong Benyi laughed heartily. "Then I still envy you!"

As the two talked, they did not delay matters. Over there, the Food Protection Army had already set up pots and stoves, steaming cornbread buns and cooking porridge, which they began to distribute. Even Zhong Benyi took a cornbread bun, devoured it in two or three bites, licked the crumbs from his lips, then faced Mingzhou and knelt properly.

"Friend, I send you on your way," Yang Gong said, raising his sword. With a sudden loud shout, the blade fiercely descended. A large head, propelled by a gush of blood from the neck, flew into the air.

Zhong Benyi also let out a long laugh. Even as his head was severed from his body, the laughter seemed unending. Though it was broad daylight and the sun shone brightly, those around who heard this faint, lingering laughter couldn't help but feel a chill in their hearts.

As Zhong Benyi's head fell, countless vindictive souls emerged from the bodies of the hungry ghosts on the battlefield and throughout Mingzhou. Their baleful aura was so heavy that even under the sunlight, it did not dissipate. Instead, it followed the spray of blood-red light from Zhong Benyi's neck, flying towards the Zhensui Mansion.

Within the Zhensui Mansion, Hu Ma had already drawn out a Command Flag, watching as these tumultuous vindictive souls all flew into it.

Meanwhile, three or four thousand hungry ghosts remained. They were eating cornbread buns and drinking porridge. Though clearly famished, they ate extremely slowly and, inexplicably, seemed to quickly become full, stopping their meal and dumbly raising their heads. Zhong Benyi had been beheaded, but no one came to slay them. Yet many among them simply stared blankly, then suddenly tilted their heads and collapsed. Gusts of chilling wind emerged from their bodies, as vindictive souls flew out one by one.

The rushing winds howled, like a storm sweeping through remnant clouds, their momentum astonishing and their presence overwhelmingly heavy, like witnessing a nightmare.

Hu Ma held the Command Flag, feeling its immense weight. The bloody petition Zhong Benyi had submitted, now lying on the desk, also seemed to emanate a roiling, resentful aura.

"I accept your grievances and will avenge this bloody feud. Rest assured and go in peace!" Hu Ma sighed deeply, then threw the Command Flag forward. It directly embedded itself behind the Yin General who stood in the battle formation, anchoring the entire array. In an instant, the Yin General's baleful aura intensified a hundredfold.

Meanwhile, Yang Gong, having beheaded Zhong Benyi, picked up his sword. He noticed that the treasure sword, known for killing without being stained by blood, now bore a trace of blood that couldn't be wiped off, no matter how hard he tried.

Witnessing this scene—an empty promise exchanged for a hundred thousand ghost soldiers—neither the disciples of Not Eating Beef, nor the Path-followers in Mingzhou Prefecture, nor even the Eldest Son of Meng Family could maintain their composure. They couldn't even fathom what the Heavenly Destiny General entering the Command Flag signified. Those were countless hungry ghosts from Official Zhou willingly entering the Command Flag! Their surging, baleful aura already far surpassed the realm of Strange Skills of the Path. Who could possess such audacity and spirit?

The Eldest Son of Meng Family felt his palm tremble slightly. He clearly understood the weight of these hundred thousand ghost soldiers. Even his long-cultivated Qi Cultivation Skills couldn't contain his agitation, and he couldn't help but speak, "I just wonder, brother, do you understand where this grievance must be directed, and how heavy this burden truly is?"

"The Zhensui Mansion's gates are open," Hu Ma smiled at him, appearing very polite and not putting on any airs from the Mansion. "If there are grievances, they must be received. Otherwise, what would be the point of my opening these gates? The people of Official Zhou have suffered this calamity. If it were truly a natural disaster, that would be one thing. But if ghostly gods are involved, then it is precisely the time for the Zhensui Mansion to issue its decrees!"

"Now, let all the people of the world be witnesses! Let them see clearly whether I am making empty promises or if I truly intend to seek justice for the people of Official Zhou!"

With that, he suddenly turned, glancing towards Mingzhou City, and shouted, "The Lord of Official Zhou is dead, and the hungry ghosts have returned to their respective places! Do you demon people still think you can hide after committing such evil deeds?"

While Hu Ma was reopening the Zhensui Mansion outside the city and the Eldest Son of Meng Family had come to observe the ceremony, some within Mingzhou City were in a state of utter chaos. They were first stunned, then terrified. Initially, they had held onto some hope, but when Hu Ma accepted Zhong Benyi's petition of grievance, fear gripped them. Some prepared to perform the ritual of setting up the altar, intending to escape via the Yin Road, but they couldn't. The Yin Road wouldn't open; ghostly gods blocked their way. They wanted to ride horses and charge out of the city, but that too was impossible, as the Food Protection Army had surrounded the entire area.

At the height of their panic and despair, they suddenly saw a girl in a red dress with two small, horn-like pigtails on her head. A chilling dread overcame them, and their legs grew weak.

"You all..." The little ghost in the red dress saw them, her eyes seeming somewhat confused. She thought hard for a long time but still shook her tiny head. She couldn't remember. So she simply hopped along, leading the way. "Follow me. Brother Huma is already waiting for you outside."

The Hu Family's Second Uncle, Third Uncle, Fourth Uncle, and the eldest granddaughter all felt despair at this moment. They were all experts of the Walking Ghost Path and should have had no reason to fear a mere little ghost, yet they found themselves utterly powerless, only able to stare at each other.

After a long pause, it was the eldest granddaughter, Hu Xi, who gritted her teeth. She was the first to follow behind the little ghost, speaking slowly, "Let's go. We've always wanted to see him, haven't we?"