Chapter 39 Ghost Tide
"The Mountain of Wuji is not far ahead now..."
"Yes, General. Our objective this time is precisely that Mountain of Wuji. As long as we seize the Numinous Pivot, the General will have the opportunity to become the Mountain Deity of Wuji!"
Walking beside the commander, a Daoist priest said with a smile.
Hearing these words, the commander revealed a slight smile and said, "I hope the imperial court keeps its word this time!"
"Rest assured, the imperial court will certainly keep its promise. When the time comes, the Son of Heaven himself will issue an imperial decree to enfeoff you as the Lord of Mount Wuji!"
As the Daoist priest spoke and smiled, he revealed the rattan staff tucked into his waist.
It was precisely that same envoy from the Cheng Tian Dao!
At this moment, the Cheng Tian Dao envoy cast his gaze toward the direction of Xiaji County, thinking to himself: "The grand undertaking is of utmost importance this time. If that Wang Zhenling is sensible, doesn't jump out to court his own death, and clears the path, perhaps he can still escape with his life. Otherwise, he is dead for sure this time!"
Observing Wang Zhenling's actions, his style was bold yet low-profile. He was also so familiar with the local customs and practices of this world that it was impossible to discern many traces of a transmigration traveler in him!
Yet, his methods on some occasions differed greatly from the people of this very world.
Was this Wang Zhenling truly a native genius of this world?
Or was he a transmigrator who concealed himself exceptionally well?
How fascinating. Originally, he had even wanted to observe the actions of this Magistrate Wang properly.
However, this time, it was feared that nine times out of ten he would not survive!
That was somewhat regrettable.
The Cheng Tian Dao envoy thought proudly to himself.
He had never imagined that Wang Zhenling, relying on the strength of Xiaji County alone, could block this powerful ghostly army!
That's right, this was not a scattered rabble of wild ghosts, but a formidable troop of fierce ghosts!
Moreover, this ghostly army's objective was not Xiaji County at all.
The Mountain of Wuji was their true destination!
Entering Xiaji County along the way, all the rural settlements they passed were completely empty, devoid of a single person.
At first, the Cheng Tian Dao envoy had sneered, thinking it seemed Wang Zhenling was still somewhat clever this time, having taken the commoners away to hide.
However, at that moment, he saw a bright glow in the distance. At first, he paid it no heed, but the closer they got, the clearer it became—it was the city of Xiaji.
The entire city of Xiaji was packed with people, seemingly entirely enveloped in a sea of fire.
Fire naturally carried the power of civilization and order, along with light and scorching heat, which ghosts inherently feared.
Not to mention, the tens of thousands of residents of the entire Xiaji County were gathered both inside and outside the city walls.
Bonfires were lit everywhere, blazing brightly.
The fire of blood and Qi gathered by the living, combined with the flames ignited by bonfires and torches, converged into a blaze so intense that it seemed as if the entire city was wrapped and burning within flames!
The vanguard of the ghostly army halted abruptly, not daring to approach casually.
"What is the situation?" the commander asked.
A scout ghost soldier immediately came over to report: "Tens of thousands of commoners are gathered in the city ahead, and bonfires are lit everywhere. The Yang energy is blazing fiercely, and we dare not approach..."
The commander looked over, seeing the brilliant radiance as if the flames of the entire city were reflected within his pupils, and could not help but sneer.
"Very well, they actually want to use this trick to deal with us, thinking we are ordinary wild ghosts?"
The commander sneered.
If this were merely an ordinary pack of wild ghosts, then even with a hundred thousand ghostly entities, they might not dare to charge forcefully into this place.
This was not because Wang Zhenling's method was so formidable that it was unbreakable.
Rather, breaking Wang Zhenling's method would inevitably demand a massive sacrifice!
Those wild ghosts were merely a scattered mob; who among them would be willing to make successive sacrifices?
However, what he led here were no wild ghosts, but true, ferocious spirits of wrath—true, heinous ghost criminals entwined with baleful aura.
These ghostly entities, fierce and malevolent, were filled with rage and hatred toward all living people and everything belonging to the government.
How could they possibly care about sacrifices?
"Charge through and make a blood feast of this entire city!"
The commander sneered and issued the order!
"Understood!"
The horde of ghosts stopped lingering and charged directly toward Xiaji County.
Black mist rolled turbulently, and Yin energy scattered in all directions. Like a massive sheet of black fog, it enshrouded the city of Xiaji.
Perched atop the newly constructed walls of Xiaji County, Wang Zhenling witnessed this scene and a solemn expression surfaced on his face: "They're here!"
He had long anticipated that this kind of display wouldn't be enough to frighten these ghostly entities away!
How could ghostly entities bold enough to attempt to storm the Mountain of Wuji be deterred by such a meager show of force?
If they wished to survive the night unscathed, they would likely have to fight for their lives!
Ruan Jing, a military commander of the county soldiers by Wang Zhenling's side, spoke in a loud voice: "County Magistrate's prediction was spot on. Since those ghostly entities have arrived, shouldn't we deploy our forces as well?"
This Ruan Jing stood eight chi tall, with a voice like a booming bell, and his two arms possessed the strength of a thousand jun.
Yet he was merely a prominent chieftain among the refugees, distinguished for his exceptional bravery.
Most importantly, he actually possessed a golden destiny of fate. It was precisely because of this that he had been subdued and appointed as a military commander!
However, county soldiers were not regular troops; they were temporarily recruited and disbanded once used.
Therefore, this military commander was not a genuine official rank of the imperial court, but a provisional one—much like when Wang Zhenling had previously gone to attack the Mountain of Wuji!
Ruan Jing was originally an impoverished hunter. Although blessed with immense physical strength, in times of peace he could only rely on brute force to feed himself.
When the refugees fled, it was because of his martial valor that hundreds of refugees had elected him as their leader.
Yet that was the extent of it!
He had fled to Xiaji County, where he caught Wang Zhenling's eye and was continuously promoted, eventually rising to become a military commander of the county soldiers. Naturally, he felt boundless gratitude toward Wang Zhenling.
Seeing that Wang Zhenling had made various targeted arrangements even before the ghostly horde attacked, his admiration for Wang Zhenling reached extraordinary heights.
At this moment, he was volunteering himself to immediately deploy the preparations and deal with those ghostly entities!
Wang Zhenling nodded and said, "Go ahead, and take care of yourself!"
Though Ruan Jing felt this parting instruction was somewhat overly motherly, warmth stirred within his heart all the same.
He immediately cupped his fists in assent, let out a loud shout, and charged out with several hundred subordinates.
The black fog was condensed Yin energy; because it had solidified into mist, the sheer potency of this Yin energy was palpable.
At this moment, even before the ghostly soldiers drew close, the Yin energy brought by the black fog caused the temperature to drop precipitously.
Even the outermost bonfires shrank instantly, their colors turning blue, as though they might be extinguished at any moment!
Countless commoners were jolted by this piercing Yin energy, shivering involuntarily. Coupled with the strange behavior of the flames, fear gripped their hearts, causing a stir among the crowd and making them instinctively want to retreat.
After all, these were merely ordinary refugee commoners, nothing more than a mob.
How could they have ever witnessed such a spectacle?
Naturally, terror took hold.
As the crowd wavered, the sea of fire hovering above their heads—fueled by the collective blood and Qi of the people—dimmed accordingly and nearly scattered into nothingness.