Chapter 1 Never Seen Yin Spirits Knocking at the Gates?

If Digua Shao could speak to everyone witnessing the scene before Meng Hu Pass, it would likely be these two sentences:

You're seeing it today!

The Xinghun (Punishment of Souls) school wasn't like Shou Sui (Year-Keeping), Fu Ling (Bearing Spirits), Zou Gui (Ghost Walking), Dao Zai (Disaster Stealing), and so on, which often involved grand altars and invocations of deities, showcasing impressive abilities that amazed people.

Nor was it like the Tricks school, which needed an "audience" to display its skills.

The Xinghun school's abilities were mostly done in secret. Preparations were made in private because many techniques were shady and couldn't be seen. When actually taking action, it was best to deal with the target without them even seeing you.

But Digua Shao was dissatisfied.

With her somewhat manic personality, someone who wanted to be on stage was stuck doing private work in a corner every day. She'd long been dissatisfied.

So, this time, she represented the Xinghun school and broke with convention.

Now, there were enough onlookers, and a senior was supporting her, with so many acquaintances, both living and dead, watching her. What was there to be afraid of?

Let's make some noise!

With a command, the yin spirits and little ghosts that had scattered earlier were also startled awake and turned their heads back, regrouping and surging toward Meng Hu Pass.

There was even a hint of wanting to show off in front of the golden-armored warriors around them, hoping to curry favor.

But they probably didn't know that those adults, though impressive, were only acting on orders.

And as the three eerie paper figures floated back into the night sky, the pair of cold, dead eyes in the head formation also turned their heads, staring eerily into Meng Hu Pass.

The yin energy and resentment that had just stagnated now surged like thawed tides, crashing against the pass.

Visibly, Meng Hu Pass seemed to be shrouded in dark clouds falling from the sky. The huge pass seemed to fall into the underworld in an instant, and large pieces of bluestone were covered with a layer of white frost. In the hazy mist, countless ghost shadows poured into the pass.

"Quick… grab the pot ash…"

"Quick… beat the big drum…"

"Rooster… where's the rooster? Bring it here…"

Facing this surging and terrifying yin energy, the people of the Dao and the soldiers stationed at Meng Hu Pass were now like people who had fallen into a nightmare.

Everyone began to panic uncontrollably, their bodies growing cold. Wrapping themselves in straw was useless. Looking up, they only saw ghost shadows filling the sky, grotesque and bizarre, rushing towards them.

A strong army can resist ghosts and gods.

But that requires courage.

But now, on Meng Hu Pass, there seemed to be more ghosts than people. Where could they gather courage?

The guards on the foremost city wall only glanced outside the pass and immediately saw countless dull and cold heads. The dim eyes seemed to contain a cold fierceness as deep as an abyss, instantly filling their minds.

It was unknown how many people, the moment they were stared at by the heads, cried out, their bodies turned cold, and they fell from the city wall in a daze.

Before they even hit the ground, they were already dead.

And those who weren't directly stared at by the heads only felt waves of yin wind washing over their bodies.

If everyone had a stick of incense and three lamps, and a puff of yin wind extinguished one lamp, then their lives were gone when all three lamps were extinguished. They were almost being blown on by countless little ghosts in succession.

Not to mention ordinary soldiers, even capable people with Daoist skills couldn't withstand it.

Although these defending soldiers were just ordinary soldiers under the command of the God-Given King, there were also some brave and skilled warriors among them, but now they couldn't even hold their weapons. And the Daoist priests in the army had completely lost the courage to resist, only screaming desperately.

They scrambled for pot ash, or hid in the latrines, or huddled in corners with roosters, shivering, their faces ashen, muttering to themselves like madmen, praying for dawn.

Evil ghosts knock on the gate, resentment attacks the city!

They had all seen the world and been through a lot, but they had never seen this kind of scene before.

This scene came suddenly and was rare in the world. The various extraordinary people in Qu Prefecture finally remembered the fear of being outshone by that young ancestral grandmother.

But strangely, now that the commotion had become so great, the God-Given King and his floating Tu army still hadn't made any move.

In the most central camp tent within the pass, there was deathly silence, without a sound.

"My goodness, if we followed up at this time…"

Corresponding to the miserable state inside Meng Hu Pass was the anxiety and excitement of the various armies outside the head formation.

They looked at this scene of fierce ghosts attacking the city, equally shocked and horrified, but immediately overjoyed. They clearly saw that the head formation had changed direction, and they could also see that Meng Hu Pass was already in chaos.

Undoubtedly, if they could advance directly at this time, following the eerie ghost soldiers to charge, they could take advantage of the situation to break through Meng Hu Pass and win a great victory.

It was just a pity that Digua Shao's method of breaking the formation was too incompatible. The soldiers inside Meng Hu Pass were tormented by thousands of ghosts, which was certainly uncomfortable, but those outside didn't dare to approach either. Approaching meant they couldn't escape either.

After all, theoretically speaking, she hadn't broken the formation, but only made it more powerful…

It was at this time that the two Miss Li's of the Wu Chang (Impermanence) Li family had unspeakable awkward expressions on their faces. They looked at each other, wanting to speak, but ultimately kept silent.

Summoning all kinds of ghost kings to attack the pass in front of the Wu Chang Li family was simply trampling the Wu Chang Li family's face into the mud. They had never encountered such a thing in their lives, but Hu Ma was standing next to them, determined to be their backer, and they didn't dare to interfere.

In terms of seniority, they were actually of the same generation as Hu Ma, but Hu Ma was already the head of the Hu family and the Great Master.

This made her higher in status than them.

In addition, Hu Ma's skills were real, and she was on a different level than them, creating an invisible sense of oppression.

The words Hu Ma had used to reprimand them in Shang Jing, saying that the dust on their knees hadn't been brushed off yet, were still flashing before their eyes, so they dared not ask for trouble.

"Sigh…"

But just before Meng Hu Pass, when the yin wind was rolling and it was difficult to distinguish between the human and yin realms, a low sigh suddenly sounded.

Everyone noticed it at the same time and looked up, only to see several banners floating in the sky and earth, filled with eerie ghost mist. Then, more and more banners appeared, one after another, as if coming from the underworld.

In the blink of an eye, the banners were densely packed, crisscrossing, covered with Tian Wen (celestial script), mysterious and eerie.

Also at the moment these banners appeared, the world seemed to become silent. The voices of the yin spirits and monsters causing trouble on Meng Hu Pass seemed to be instantly pulled away, and even the countless heads in front of the pass had sluggish expressions and closed their eyes.

"Finally willing to come out?"

Hu Ma noticed this movement and snorted coldly, looking in the direction the banners were floating from.

He saw that the banners, covered with Tian Wen, were densely packed.

And under Meng Hu Pass, the paper mountains, paper bridges, and paper courtyards arranged by the capable people of the Xinghun school in Qu Prefecture were now hazy and distorted, as if they had all turned into real objects.

They were lifelike, as if a city had suddenly appeared in front of Meng Hu Pass, completely indistinguishable from reality.

And from this city, one could vaguely see a team of ceremonial guards raised high, with ghost officials wearing snow-white tall hats walking at the front, followed by little ghosts holding fans or pots, standing in two neat rows, crossing the head formation and coming to Hu Ma.

They knelt down and bowed, "Greetings, General Zhen Sui (Suppressing Calamities). Li Weishi, the former secretary of the Xing Sect, invites you to speak privately."

"The oldest one has come?"

Hu Ma's eyes pierced through the two ceremonial guards and looked ahead, only to see an old woman leaning on a dragon-headed cane waiting in front of the paper city. Meeting his gaze, she lowered her head slightly.

She didn't presumptuously ask him to pay respects, which was considered a courtesy to greet him in person. He immediately nodded, stepped forward, and came to the old woman. His face didn't show a smile, but his words were still very polite:

"Hu family junior, pays respects to Old Madam."

"..."

Saying "pays respects," but being able to clasp his hands together was already good enough. Bowing was definitely out of the question.

"I dare not, I dare not…"

Hu Ma only made a gesture of "paying respects," but the old madam Li really reached out to help him.

She repeatedly said, "This old woman dare not accept such a heavy gift. It's just that the juniors have caused a great disaster and are ashamed to meet old friends, so I, the old one, can only come and show my face."

As she spoke, she invited Hu Ma into the city to sit down. Two young girls had already brought tea, light as air.

Hu Ma glanced at the two maids. With white lips, red cheeks, and pale skin, their feet didn't touch the ground. He knew they were paper figures, but the tea was steaming hot, with a fragrant aroma.

Li Weishi also advised with a smile, "It's human tea, Great Master, please rest assured."

Hu Ma nodded slightly and said, "Old Madam is too kind. It's just that this junior still doesn't understand what Old Madam means by a great disaster."

As he spoke, he didn't stand on ceremony, half turned his body, and blew a breath.

Whoosh!

This lifelike city, mansion, small bridge, and flowing water were, after all, made of paper. Blown by his breath, a large piece was torn apart.

Revealing the exquisite and false masks covered in blood and filth. Although their eyes were closed, the expressions on each face were even more chilling.

"Are you referring to these heads?"

Hu Ma stared at Old Madam Li and said, "I heard that the God-Given King has a close relationship with the Li family. I think it's true."

"Otherwise, he wouldn't have the courage to slaughter the innocent and set up such a tragic formation in front of the pass!"

As he spoke, his face was clearly mocking, "The Li family is in charge of the Yin Book, commanding the Yin Envoys and ghost officials, arresting souls and punishing criminals. It's your duty to uphold the law, but now you are condoning this disaster, without any regard for the law."

"Not only are you not punishing the evildoers, but you are also protecting them and secretly guarding them at all times. I envy this ability. If my Hu family could learn to act as recklessly as the Li family, why would we have suffered so much in the early years?"

"..."

Hearing Hu Ma's words, Old Madam Li smiled bitterly, waving her hand helplessly, and sighed, "Enough, enough."

"Great Master, for the sake of this old woman's age, please save some face for me!"

After she finished speaking, she sighed, "Looking from the martial world, the Ten Surnames are all very capable, as if they can go to heaven and earth, omnipotent. But looking from within the Ten Surnames..."

"We can't control them, and we can't manage them."

"Even if we have a few unique skills, we can only make small troubles. No matter how high our magic is, how can we suppress people's hearts?"

As she spoke, her face showed some fatigue, and she slowly shook her head, "People's hearts, ah, will grow bigger."

"We of the Ten Surnames are wrong in that we dare not be emperors openly, so although we secretly obtain benefits, the people of the world do not recognize us."

"Seeing that the world is without a master, we want to support one. If we don't give him the real thing, he can't stand firm in this chaotic world. But if you give him this real thing, he dislikes you for interfering and doesn't take you seriously."

"Hehe, before he obtained the blessing of fate, he was an ordinary person, and we were immortals in the Dao. After he obtained the mandate, he was crowned king, but we became heretical martial world people."

"..."

These words were full of complaints, and Hu Ma understood them and smiled coldly.

It seemed that even the Li family had miscalculated the God-Given King's arrogance.

No wonder he dared to point his finger at the sky and scold the martial world people.

Hu Ma thought of the Qingyuan Hu family back then, who also wanted to support a general with the mandate of heaven and make him listen obediently, but that general was also not convinced in his heart. That was still someone who had not obtained the mandate of heaven, let alone those who had obtained the mandate now?

His words didn't slow down, but he said coldly, "The Li family is large and powerful, with countless capable people. It would be false to say that you are being bullied?"

"What I want to ask the Li family is this."

"Although Du Yi is gone, the rules of the world are still there. The Hu family obtained the Zhen Sui (Suppressing Calamities) Office and are in awe, never overstepping the boundaries. The Li family holds the list of sinners, but you just let this thing go, killing innocent people?"

"..."

"It's the Li family's fault, it's the Li family's fault…"

Facing Hu Ma's questioning, this extremely senior old lady just smiled bitterly and shook her head, but didn't continue speaking. Instead, she paused slightly and looked up at Hu Ma:

"The Zhao family sent you two stone rollers, right?"

Hearing her mention this, Hu Ma just looked at her coldly and said, "Are the two related?"

"Of course, they are related. After all, these five stone rollers, separated, are just objects. If you want to make great use of them, you must collect all five."

She nodded and said, "Speaking of which, the Li family also has two. One is in this Meng Hu Pass, and the other is used as a well stone in the Li family. If Great Master Hu wants them, just say the word."

"Hmm?"

Hu Ma did have the intention to collect all five stone rollers, but seeing Old Madam Li say this, he was a little surprised. Was she admitting that she was in the wrong and wanted to silence him?

But it didn't seem like she would go that far…

"Not only these two stone rollers, but also the royal mandates of Qu Prefecture and even the entire Xishan Dao, the alliance book of the noble families, and the orders for the various hall officials and capable people in the world."

And when Old Madam Li spoke again, it was even more shocking: "You of this generation don't interact much with our Li family, but the Hu family and the Li family were real old friends in the past. I and your grandmother were also old friends, and I still call her sister."

"Now that you want to do great things, I understand. If you want anything, just say it, just don't listen to the Zhao family's provocations."

"..."

Hearing these words, Hu Ma was even more surprised in his heart. Not in a hurry to answer, he just looked at her.

"Actually, this old woman knows what you want."

Old Madam Li said, looking up at Hu Ma, her old eyes clear: "When that young man who was reincarnated into the Witchcraft sect proposed to gamble the world with the Ten Surnames, we already guessed what you would do."

"Since we guessed it, we naturally know what you need."

"What? The mandate of heaven, the stone rollers, and that Yin Palace are all among them. The one you are supporting must also become an emperor. Since this God-Given King who was given the title of God is already an obstacle, of course, he must be removed."

"..."

Hu Ma was even more surprised in his heart. Seeing that she could say the plan that he and the reincarnated person had discussed, he dared not be careless.

Meeting her gaze, he slowly said, "Then what does Old Madam want to say?"

Old Madam Li also met his gaze and slowly said, "This old woman only wants to talk with Great Master Hu of the Zhen Sui (Suppressing Calamities) Office before you seize the mandate of heaven."

"Talk about what?"

Hu Ma understood Old Madam Li's meaning and said indifferently, "I don't have the ability to help the Li family become immortals."

"If the Li family wanted to become immortals, they would have fully assisted the National Preceptor in building the White Jade Capital in Shang Jing."

Old Madam Li's words were completely unexpected to Hu Ma: "Now that we should be honest with each other, regarding the pursuit of the mandate of heaven and the expulsion of Tai Sui (Grand Duke Jupiter)…"

"...The Li family is standing on the same position as you!"