https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-545-The-Remnants-of-Pacifying-Evil/12919005/
Chapter 546: Summoning Ghosts
Chapter 546: Summoning Ghosts
As the swarm of ghosts approached Zhu Gate Town, in the southwestern corner of Mingzhou, the renowned Zhang Agu, carrying a bundle on her back and accompanied by a headless ghost, emerged from the mountains.
She had originally planned to visit the Hu Ma village and meet with Hu Ma, but due to her family's poverty, she had no mount to ride. Instead, she carried her bundle and walked for two days before finally leaving the mountains. She was about to head to Hu Ma's village to inquire about something.
However, as she walked along the narrow path between the fields, she noticed an increasing number of ghosts and sinister winds around her. Out of the corner of her eye, she occasionally caught glimpses of ghosts hanging from nearby trees, kneeling in the fields, or squatting on top of graves.
Zhang Agu was an experienced ghost summoner, and such occurrences were not uncommon for her. However, as the ghostly figures and sinister winds intensified, she was forced to stop in her tracks. She found a higher ground, set up a ritual altar, and borrowed the light from the altar's candles to take a closer look. Her heart skipped a beat as she saw something startling.
In front of the altar, countless wandering spirits and vengeful ghosts filled the mountains and fields, all kneeling on the ground and bowing to the ritual altar, crying, "Great Sorcerer, save us..."
"The Truth Sect has harmed heaven and earth, taking away Mingzhou's blessings. Their luck has been exhausted, and we, the remaining souls, do not wish to associate with these luckless people. We fear being implicated and never finding peace in the future..."
"But these people possess strange sorcery and forcefully summon us. We are helpless and can only seek the Sorcerer's help to find a way out..."
"..."
"How could such a thing happen?"
Zhang Agu had traveled through many villages and towns, handling countless matters involving both the living and the dead. She was no stranger to vengeful spirits seeking her help. However, she had never encountered a situation where hundreds or even thousands of vengeful spirits from Mingzhou Prefecture simultaneously sought her assistance.
Even she felt perplexed, as this forceful summoning was a skill mastered by those skilled in the art of summoning. These vengeful spirits were unwilling, and she wondered what she could do to help them.
Just then, she heard a faint vibration in her ear, and a familiar voice whispered, "Agu, it's time to issue the order..."
"Little Manager..."
Zhang Agu was slightly surprised but quickly understood. These vengeful spirits had received guidance in the afterlife and sought her help for a reason.
She nodded slowly, took out the token hidden in her bundle, and placed it in the most important position on the altar. Then, she retrieved a scratched copper mirror and silently chanted a spell, carefully examining the depths of the mirror.
As she gazed deeper into the mirror, a blurry vision appeared. She saw a powerful warrior in tattered armor within Mingzhou's boundaries, holding countless iron chains that transformed and stretched in all directions.
Countless lonely and vengeful spirits were dragged away by these iron chains.
Some of the chains even extended directly in front of her, pulling away the very ghosts that were pleading their case to her.
It was at this moment that she finally understood the purpose of the token given to her by the Pacifying Evil Office. She slowly said, "The Truth Sect has come from the outside, and their disrespect is evident. You have not received their offerings and are unwilling to be controlled by them, which is understandable..."
"I grant you the freedom to disobey their orders!"
"..."
As she spoke, she put down the mirror and gently picked up the token. She bit her tongue and lightly touched the token.
The next moment, the token in her hand trembled and emitted a divine light. The countless vengeful spirits in front of the altar seemed to have something within them break free, and the ground was filled with the laughter of ghosts and gusts of sinister wind blowing in all directions.
...
...
In Zhu Gate Town, the dozen or so red lanterns floating in mid-air illuminated the surroundings. However, they were enveloped by waves of vengeful energy from all directions, almost visible to the naked eye. One by one, the vengeful ghosts climbed onto the lanterns, tugging, gnawing, and blowing vigorously.
In an instant, half of the red lanterns floating above the town began to sway and fall, dimming and losing their radiance, appearing utterly desolate.
Even the temple below, where the red lanterns emitted an eerie red glow to illuminate the night sky and protect the town from the waves of vengeful energy, was now overwhelmed by the onslaught.
Left Guardian Shen Hongzi, or Sweet Potato Burn, stood tense, afraid to even breathe. The power displayed by the Red Lantern Lady had far exceeded their expectations, but this ghostly assault was beyond their level and impossible to stop.
Just then, amidst the chaotic winds, a clanking sound of iron chains suddenly echoed through the night sky.
In that instant, the vengeful ghosts that had accompanied the sinister winds abruptly stopped their actions. They stood motionless on rooftops, outside the town, and in front of the temple gates, appearing dazed and confused.
Then, their faces filled with joy, and they knelt down, bowing towards the night sky. They shouted with delight and stretched their bodies. In the next moment, they transformed into sinister winds and disappeared into the hazy night.
"What was that?"
Three miles away, the members of the Truth Sect, who were holding ghost-binding tokens and performing their summoning rituals, suddenly turned pale, their faces filled with disbelief as they stared at the circle of banners in front of them.
At that moment, only six banners remained, and they had suddenly gone silent.
Unlike the earlier situation where the banners were damaged due to the Red Lantern Lady's struggles, these six banners remained intact. They slowly drooped, seemingly transforming into ordinary cloth banners.
"How dare he?"
Before they could even process their shock, a furious cry suddenly came from within the palanquin. Everyone turned to look, only to see the curtain being flung open, revealing a woman in a black dress with a slightly curvy figure and an air of nobility.
She had a pampered and carefree appearance, but her current expression was one of panic, lacking the demeanor of a noble family. Even her eyes were fixed on the 'Arrest' plaque.
The master of the Truth Sect's altar, who was holding the plaque, only then realized that it had somehow cracked in several places. He panicked and dropped it, causing it to shatter into pieces.
Her face turned red with anger, and she gritted her teeth as she looked up at the night sky, her voice filled with resentment, "You don't even care about our family ties?"
This sudden turn of events left the bystanders speechless, and they could only stare at her in bewilderment.
The Heaven's Will General, sitting tall on his horse beside the palanquin, showed no surprise. He gently patted his horse's saddle and asked, "What happened?"
"It's the official from the Pacifying Evil Office's inquiry hall!"
The woman in black who had emerged from the palanquin clenched her teeth and said, "The official has released those poor souls from their torment."
"Now, not only your banners, but even your other abilities to summon and control ghosts seem to be ineffective here. Your sect's powers have been greatly diminished in Mingzhou!"
"..."
"What?"
The onlookers found it bizarre. Losing a duel was one thing, but to say that their own abilities were useless was something else entirely.
For a moment, they were eager to test if their powers still worked.
However, the woman who had exited the palanquin was no longer concerned with the thoughts of these Truth Sect followers. Instead, she stared at the shattered plaque on the ground. The plaque was made of iron, and even with age, it shouldn't have shattered like that.
She understood the reason behind this, and her voice trembled with anger, "First, you refused to acknowledge reason, then you secretly took the blood offerings for yourself. Now, you've even come to the inquiry hall and destroyed our plaque..."
"Are you planning to send an assassin next?"
"Are you saying that the Qingyuan Hu Clan will be forced to leave the Ghost Summoning Path?"
"..."
Her words were so strange that the Truth Sect followers were left dumbfounded. They couldn't tell if it was more serious that their ghost-summoning method had been broken or the news she implied.
"Earlier, even just a moment ago, you didn't mention that you could represent the Hu Family of Shou Sui."
The Heaven's Will General, sitting tall on his horse beside the palanquin, listened to the woman's words, and for some reason, a faint mocking expression appeared on his face. He said calmly, "It seems that the renowned Ghost Summoner can't even summon a single ghost now."
The woman in the palanquin suddenly looked at him with anger, but the Heaven's Will General only coldly smiled at her without backing down.
Her eyes flickered, and she quickly regained her composure, saying coldly, "This is a family matter, you have no right to interfere."
"It is a family matter."
The Heaven's Will General gave a cold laugh and said, "But it also concerns the lives of ten thousand followers of the Truth Sect. If you don't have the face to admit it, you shouldn't have boasted so confidently when you invited me to Mingzhou."
"If you want to be betrothed to me, you shouldn't act like a spoiled young mistress in front of me every day. You should clean yourself up and wait for me in the bridal chamber."
"..."
These words shocked everyone present. The maids and servants following the palanquin were furious, thinking that their mistress was being insulted, and they took a step forward, ready to take action.
At the same time, the several dozen riders accompanying the Heaven's Will General also leaned forward slightly, their hands resting on their weapons.
The atmosphere turned cold instantly, and the vengeful spirits that had been present were gone, but the chilling wind continued to blow, as if trying to take away the last bit of warmth from those present.
Everyone was on high alert, afraid to make any sudden moves, fearing that someone might lose their life in the next moment. However, the Heaven's Will General broke the tense silence with a cold hum, taking the lead to speak in the oppressive atmosphere. He said in a deep voice, "Bring out the Hundred Sons Cauldron!"
"..."
"The Hundred Sons Cauldron?"
With these three words, the tense atmosphere that had been filled with tension and hostility suddenly dissipated, replaced by strange and bizarre expressions on everyone's faces. Even the woman who had emerged from the palanquin exclaimed in disbelief, "How dare you use such an evil artifact?"
"Evil artifact?"
The Heaven's Will General gave her a cold look and said, "You use righteous artifacts, but what use are they now?"
The woman in the palanquin stared at him intently, wanting to say something but stopping herself. Instead, she slowly turned around, sat back in the palanquin, and lowered the curtain, saying softly, "Then do as you please!"
(End of Chapter)
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