https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-520-Returning-to-the-Camp-for-Treasures/12918977/
Chapter 519: Ten Thousand Starved Ghosts
Chapter 519: Ten Thousand Starved Ghosts
"Wow, I wasn't even planning to go in, but you've already sniffed me out?"
Hu Ma never expected that he had just taken a stroll, and this little cripple ghost had found him. He smiled and took out a Blood Feast from his sleeve, handing it to the crippled little ghost, saying, "Tell him."
"Prepare in advance, the grain robbers are coming!"
After instructing the crippled little ghost, Hu Ma took large strides, patting Little Red Tang on the shoulder who was rolling her eyes at him, and then he continued his journey over mountains and valleys.
The crippled little ghost, Yang Gong, stood there dumbfounded, holding the Blood Feast in his hand. The entire ghost was stunned, and he stuffed it into his mouth in one bite, then returned to the village with trembling happiness and joy.
For a moment, he felt content, and as he walked past Yang Gong, he didn't even greet him. But Yang Gong reached out and lifted him up, raising his hand to teach this guy a lesson.
However, Yang Gong's nose twitched, and he was surprised, "Blood Feast?"
"Where did you steal this from? I haven't smelled the scent of a Blood Feast in a long time..."
"..."
The crippled little ghost, still hanging in the air, was in high spirits and said, "Blessings to Elder Hu, may Elder Hu become rich..."
"Eh?"
Yang Gong was startled, "Is Elder Hu here?"
He looked around but didn't see anyone, which made him even more surprised, "Why didn't he come into the village to drink with me?"
The crippled little ghost thought for a moment and realized, "Elder Hu said that the grain robbers are coming, the grain robbers are coming..."
"Did my brother come to deliver a message?"
Upon hearing this, Yang Gong finally understood. He came from a poor background and knew the weight of the words 'grain robbers'. His expression turned solemn, and he carried the little ghost to find Old Tai Shan to discuss important matters.
...
...
"We've found out about the origin of that banner..."
In the government office of Mingzhou Capital, there were also people gathered to discuss matters, but the room didn't exude solemnity; instead, it resembled a restaurant. The table was filled with wine and meat, and everyone was eating and chewing heartily, even if they were choking, they still forced the food into their mouths.
Even the messenger who came to deliver the news first glanced at the meat on the table, swallowed his saliva, and seemed to forget what he was about to say.
The Heaven's Will General sitting in the center picked up a pig leg from the table and threw it to the messenger. The messenger caught it and took a big bite, then stuffed it into his chest before speaking, "It's our Seventh Cask Master."
"This person was preaching and answering questions in the village by the western river. In just half a day, he and his seven followers were all killed. The method was brutal, and he didn't even have a chance to send a message back."
"Someone has taken their banner and is using the name of the Truth Sect to attack the Red Lantern Society, causing all this trouble."
"..."
Upon hearing this, everyone present stopped eating and drinking, and they all looked up in surprise. Someone said, "The Seventh Cask Master is not weak; how could he be easily harmed? Could it be that the Red Lantern Society is behind this, crying thief and catching the thief?"
If it were before, someone might have doubted the Red Lantern Society's courage, but now, no one in the room responded. The Heaven's Will General coldly smiled, "I've long suspected that the Red Lantern Lady has a deep foundation."
"She claims to be a Minor Case Deity, but look at the popularity of her newly built temple. It's no less than that of an entire prefecture..."
"She pretends to be weak, but we must not underestimate her!"
"..."
Everyone listening was startled and stood up, saying, "What should we do? Please give us your instructions, General."
The Heaven's Will General remained silent for a long time, then suddenly waved his hand, "Wait here, I'll go inside and seek advice, then we'll talk."
He stood up and headed straight for the inner residence, leaving everyone in the mansion looking at each other with strange expressions. After a pause, they continued eating, not paying any attention.
The Heaven's Will General, however, went straight to the inner residence and arrived at the door of the upper room, which the officials' wives had vacated. He straightened his clothes and bowed respectfully, "Lady..."
Before he could finish, a soft voice came from inside the room, "Since I've given myself to you, we are husband and wife. Why bother with such formalities?"
"Yes."
The Heaven's Will General respectfully replied and stood up to push open the door, but the person inside spoke again, "Just talk outside. I don't like the smell on you. Come and see me again when the blood smell on you has dissipated!"
The Heaven's Will General said, "Yes."
He took a step back and said, "I just wanted to ask, how long do we have to wait in Mingzhou?"
The person in the inner room said, "I've said before, we came here to meet someone. We can only wait until that person appears."
"Yes."
The Heaven's Will General responded, then added in a low voice, "But my two thousand troops can't hold on much longer. We're waiting to transport grain back, and while we can feast on meat here, over there, they might not even have enough people to eat..."
The person in the inner room fell silent for a moment, then said, "If you can't even wait a few days, how can you talk about accomplishing great things?"
The Heaven's Will General fell silent, but he didn't leave.
After a moment of silence in the inner hall, someone sighed softly, "Fine, blood offerings cannot be rushed. You can go back and procure grain first to ease the hunger over there."
"But remember, once you relieve the hunger, don't bring the Official State's ways to Mingzhou. This place has Old Yin Mountain, and the Mountain Governor is a benevolent deity with vast divine powers. He won't tolerate your methods."
"..."
The Heaven's Will General heaved a slight sigh of relief and said in a low voice, "Understood, thank you... thank you."
After saying this, he immediately turned and left, as if he couldn't control himself if he stayed any longer. Before he even reached the main hall, several confidants rushed out, wiping their mouths in a hurry.
They asked in hushed tones, "General, what did that... lady inside say?"
"Hmph, she still says to wait."
The Heaven's Will General sneered, "At first, she spoke so nicely, but now all she says is 'wait.' That batch of blood offerings was promised to me long ago, and it's right there in the warehouse. But she insists on waiting for the Scarlet Lantern Society to hand it over."
"With all that grain within reach, we're forced to just stand here and watch..."
"..."
Hearing this, the guardian by his side showed concern, "General, we can wait here for as long as we want, with good food and drink for a hundred years. But what about our families back home..."
"Yes, I understand."
The Heaven's Will General sighed softly, "I'm not oblivious. They want to use me to force out someone of unknown origin. But with tens of thousands of mouths to feed back home, I don't have time to play these games with them."
"Fortunately, she finally agreed. Let's start preparing to procure grain!"
"..."
"We can finally get grain?"
Hearing this, the two guardians by his side couldn't contain their joy, rubbing their fists in anticipation of immediate action.
"Oh no..."
Just then, a startled cry came from the side, and all three turned to see a person with a small hat on his head and a wild look on his face emerging from behind a cluster of flowers. It was the little tax collector from the Mingzhou Government Office who had been serving them.
He had been eavesdropping and was startled by their conversation.
The Heaven's Will General, upon seeing him, merely smiled coldly, "I knew you were hiding there. Since you heard everything, there's no need for me to repeat myself, is there?"
The tax collector's face turned ashen with fear, and he hurriedly said, "Please forgive me, General. Everything else is negotiable, but it's been twenty years since grain was strictly collected in Mingzhou. If we suddenly start collecting grain now, it might..."
"That's your problem."
The Heaven's Will General sneered, his voice chilling, "I want ten thousand loads of grain and fodder, not a single grain less. Deliver it to me as promised."
"Don't feel wronged. I already know exactly how much grain, livestock, and wealth you have in your fields, warehouses, and homes. I'm only asking for ten thousand loads. How can that be considered a big deal?"
"If you think your own manpower is insufficient, that's fine. I have enough people. Starting tomorrow, they will accompany you to the villages..."
"..."
These words left the little tax collector trembling with fear. He rushed back to report to the government office, where the officials were also terrified, almost stumbling in their haste, "This... we've been so careful, fearing this very thing..."
"In the end, they couldn't hold back any longer?"
"In the past twenty years, Mingzhou hasn't strictly collected taxes, and with the favorable weather, we've enjoyed peace and stability. Now, to gather ten thousand loads of grain, we'd have to collect all the taxes owed over these twenty years!"
"..."
"..."
"Miss, the Truth Sect's appetite is too big. You can let them take a portion to tide them over, but I'm afraid their hunger won't be satisfied..."
After the Heaven's Will General left the inner hall, someone whispered, "If we overstep and cause trouble, then..."
"I know they're greedy. Hmph, anyone who can devour an entire city's worth of grain can't be good."
The lady's voice echoed faintly, "The Meng family calls him the Heaven's Will General, but in my eyes, he's more like a Demon General."
"However, since the Meng family and our elders think his fate is favorable, able to catch the attention of a noble, and he already has tens of thousands of troops ready, then to achieve greatness, one must overlook minor details. Let's tolerate him for now."
"This time, he will surely use this as an excuse to go crazy with grain collection, but it doesn't matter. I've been reciting the Soul Summoning Incantation as instructed by the elders. Still, my cousin hasn't shown his face once, nor has he sent anyone to greet us."
"If this cousin has such a big ego, why shouldn't I put some pressure on him?"
"If we can't even force him to show himself with this, then what if the Truth Sect's tens of thousands of starving ghosts really break through the gates and reach Mingzhou? I want to see how tough he really is..."
(End of Chapter)
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