Chapter 1 Celestial Discord

"The celestial signs are in disarray; they've started fighting."

Although those in Old Yin Mountain might not have the same insight into the world's affairs as their elders, their intelligence allowed them to easily guess what kind of chaos was unfolding outside.

Therefore, Zhao Sanyi, Chen Abao, Miss Zhou Si, Zhou Ying, and the madman from the Daozai Sect (Calamity Thief Sect) all felt a sense of impending pressure. They looked anxiously, even worriedly, at Hu Ma, unsure how to persuade him.

After all, they had some connection, so it wasn't easy to speak casually. However, the lazy and unrestrained madman from the Daozai Sect simply said to Hu Ma, "It's no fun when blades draw blood. Besides, even this matter of averting disaster becomes uninteresting."

"The outcome of the battle between the Dianshen (Hall Gods) and the calamity ghosts isn't in your hands."

"Why don't you invite that Young Master Hu out and let us talk to him directly?"

"..."

"If not in our hands, then in whose?"

Hu Ma didn't look at them, but calmly rose and began setting up. He placed a feng shui object here, and a brazier there.

He was setting up the altar with unprecedented seriousness. Since his abilities had grown, he rarely put so much effort into it. However, to the others, it only seemed like he wasn't very skilled.

After all, it was reasonable for a shousui (year-keeper) from the zougui (ghost-walking) sect to know how to set up an altar, and it was also reasonable for him to be clumsy at it.

"In the hands of those great lords, brother..."

The madman from the Daozai Sect said, "They can easily make these Tangshen (pond gods) lie back in their ponds, or they can truly sit idly by and watch the Meng family wipe out the last of the Hu family's bloodline."

"This was originally a contest in the arena, but now it's all decided by others..."

"...Extremely boring!"

"..."

As he spoke, he looked at the cliff. The two eagles were already gaining the upper hand against the group of snakes, but it was losing its appeal.

Only when one sees oneself as an observer does one wonder who will win or lose. When one can help a side win with a wave of their hand, it loses its fun.

Even Zhao Sanyi said, "The zougui have been weak for twenty years. I know that the zougui recently welcomed a hundred ghosts back to the altar, greatly increasing their power, but they're just villagers, not even martial artists. The fuling (spirit-burdened) sect, however, is producing talent after talent!"

"The Hu family and the Meng family have fought this battle, and the Meng family has already paid a huge price. Look at this ending..."

"...Should we really try to persuade them to leave the Meng family a way out?"

"..."

Hu Ma stood in the middle of the altar, looked at him, and smiled, "Logically speaking, I shouldn't be the one to say this."

"But since you asked, I will answer for Young Master Hu:"

"No quarter!"

"..."

"No quarter? You!"

Zhao Sanyi was blocked by this unusually blunt answer, and became anxious. Hu Ma, standing on the altar, suddenly stomped his foot. In an instant, the brazier in front of him burst into flames.

The next moment, twenty-four flags flew up from behind him and landed around the altar. The altar was instantly activated, and magical power surged. Zhao Sanyi and the others hurriedly took a step back.

Their eyes had been stung by the candlelight, and they couldn't see clearly what Hu Ma on the altar was muttering.

At the same time, outside Old Yin Mountain, thirty-six huge white lanterns turned day into night, and the Meng family's calamity senders outside Old Yin Mountain were taking advantage of this opportunity to press forward.

Faced with these thirty-six Fujun (prefects) who were sealed by the Shoudu Yi (Capital Officials) and had enjoyed the world's incense for decades or even centuries, the other newly born Tangshen in Old Yin Mountain did not have enough power to resist.

For them, being suppressed by disaster and attacked by the Fuling (prefects) was like being caught between two fires.

The mountain deity (shanjun) in Old Yin Mountain, facing the shadowy figures pressing in from outside the mountain, also felt the grim pressure within them. With a sigh, he borrowed the mountain's incense and rushed out to meet them.

But he stopped suddenly after taking only a few steps.

He suddenly saw that in the sky above the edge of Old Yin Mountain, a great wind had risen in the areas that had been blackened by the Fuling (prefects), and thunder rumbled with hidden lightning. At the same time, a voice rang out:

"Zhensui Fu (Suppression Bureau) Decree: Huanghun Fenjie (Twilight Boundary), dividing day and night, righteous gods return to their positions, yin gods give way!"

"..."

The next moment, the Yin God Dian Fuling (prefect), who had followed the thirty-six huge white lanterns to the territory of Old Yin Mountain and was about to step inside, suddenly stopped. In muffled silence, he looked up at the golden light in front of him.

It was coming from the direction of Old Yin Mountain. Heavy footsteps echoed from the depths of the netherworld, and two golden-armored warriors, holding halberds, came menacingly forward.

The dazzling golden armor seemed to tear apart even the will-o'-the-wisps around them and the darkness they brought. The dignified Fuling (prefect) couldn't help but halt in the face of these two golden-armored warriors.

Then came another two, each holding chains.

Behind them, two more appeared. One golden-armored warrior after another walked out of the depths of darkness, row after row, their bodies wrapped in extraordinary baleful energy and grimness.

One hundred and eight golden armors emerged from the fu (bureau) together!

Since the Zhensui Fu (Suppression Bureau) was forged one hundred and seventy years ago, there had never been a moment when one hundred and eight golden armors were needed to leave the bureau at the same time.

But now, they appeared in the human world simultaneously, without any warning.

Their blades and halberds pointed directly at the Fuling (prefect) who had appeared in broad daylight. A gale swept through, and an invisible voice roared, "You yin gods, appearing in broad daylight is a capital crime. Now, offending righteous gods, you shall have your godhood stripped and your golden bodies destroyed!"

"What?"

This scene not only frightened some of those watching Old Yin Mountain, but even the Fuling (prefect) inside Old Yin Mountain was shocked.

He tried to block them, but he never expected that just as he was thinking of fighting to the death a second time, he suddenly saw the rolling golden light, saw the scene of rows of golden-armored warriors appearing together.

That kid actually dared to bring out even these things?

These were the golden bodies forged by his old comrades, but now that new gods were born and enjoying incense, they were actually protecting them?

With these thoughts in his heart, his gaze also fell on the golden-armored warriors, and he was slightly tempted. But in the end, he still needed to consider that kid's reputation...

...

"Your grandfather is sitting right here on the altar, where did these wild ghosts come from, daring to cause trouble for me?"

Similarly, in the mountain villages, when a zougui (ghost-walker) on the altar saw a demon causing trouble, he was furious. Zougui people have good tempers, but it depends on the situation. The biggest taboo is being disturbed when setting up an altar, and evil spirits running over to offend people at this time is a slap in the face.

The old zougui on the altar was furious. He grabbed a few eggs offered as sacrifices, chanted a spell, made gestures in the air, and then smashed an egg, knocking the evil spirit out of the person's body.

Immediately afterward, a grass rope emerged from his sleeve. With the chanting of the spell, it quickly left the altar, and the end of the rope formed a circle, as if binding something.

This was one of the four great spells of the Hu family, passed down by Zougui Agu (Ghost-Walking Aunt). The old zougui was old and learned slowly, but it was enough to catch this evil spirit.

"Boil oil!"

He tied the evil spirit with the grass rope and shouted, "I'll fry it and use it as a snack!"

Similar scenes appeared in many places.

Originally, the abilities of zougui people and fuling people were vastly different. The Hu family's twenty years of decline had made it so that few zougui in various places could even cross a bridge, let alone enter a fu (bureau). In theory, they had almost no ability to fight the fuling. But now things were different.

The return of a hundred ghosts to the altar had greatly increased the abilities of zougui in various places. Being able to summon one of the hundred ghosts was enough to fight the fuling.

And if they couldn't summon one of the hundred ghosts, they could borrow their power, and still fight back and forth.

And Hu Ma, through the hand of Zougui Agu (Ghost-Walking Aunt), had passed down the Hu family's four great spells, which gave these zougui, even those with lower abilities, the confidence to fight the evil spirits.

These changes had only occurred in the past few months. The fuling on all sides did not know about them in advance, and were caught off guard.

As for those evil ghosts of the fuling who had intruded into the Fu Hui (Blessing Assembly), the situation was more complicated. The Nushen Niu (Non-Eating Ox) disciples, who were determined to rebel, had finally organized a relatively peaceful Fu Hui (Blessing Assembly) that didn't provoke anyone, yet so many troublemakers had come?

The person in charge poked his head out from behind the tent and asked blankly, "Who wants child boys and girls? Who wants to receive my incense?"

The evil spirits causing trouble on the incense table were stunned, and the blood food gang members who had followed the evil spirits were also stunned. After a long while, they suddenly knelt down in unison and said, "Alliance Leader..."

"Why are you here?"

"..."

In terms of reputation in the martial world, the Meng family naturally had it, but the Nushen Niu (Non-Eating Ox) also had it. And coincidentally, most of the large-scale Fu Hui (Blessing Assembly) where the fuling sect came to cause trouble were taken over by the Nushen Niu (Non-Eating Ox) people.

"The weight of the twelve paths of calamity shouldn't be so light..."

At the same time, in the altar in the forest, Hu Ma was also gritting his teeth, thinking, "The golden-armored warriors, the return of a hundred ghosts to the altar, plus the Nushen Niu (Non-Eating Ox) people, should be able to hold them off until night, right?"

"If we hold them off until night, the Meng family will surely be wiped out!"

But as his mind was completely strained and he hardened his heart, he heard the sound outside the forest. Just as he was thinking about how to make his altar even more exquisite, he suddenly breathed a sigh of relief and looked faintly forward.

Inside the forest, a black mist had risen, a sign that someone was borrowing the yin road to manifest.

From the depths of the mist, footsteps gradually sounded. Soon, a woman dressed in plain white, wearing mourning clothes, slowly walked out of the mist with seven or eight black shadows.

"Who is the zougui's Great Blade Handler?"

Her eyebrows and eyes were faint, her face was pale, but her eyes were as deep and cold as lightning. When she arrived, even Zhao Sanyi and the others changed their expressions and were very wary.

Hu Ma naturally knew who she was, but he wasn't in a hurry to ask questions. Instead, he turned to Miss Zhou Si next to him and said, "Among the ten surnames' Great Blade Handlers, where does your Zhou family's Big Head, Master Tie Jun, rank?"

Zhou Si never expected him to ask this. After a moment of silence, she said in a low voice, "Third."

"Then your Zhou family's blade handlers aren't very good..."

Hu Ma nodded and looked directly at the woman, saying, "I am the zougui's Great Blade Handler, and I know what you've come for."

"My young master is not here!"

"What you're saying is not going to happen!"

"Scram!"