https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-548-The-Ultimate-Malevolent-Artifact/12919008/
Chapter 547: Serving the Lady
Chapter 547: Serving the Lady
"Huh? Why is it quiet again?"
In Red Gate Town, Red Lantern Lady witnessed the situation becoming increasingly dire, and even the Left Guardian was seriously considering fleeing. Suddenly, the resentful aura inexplicably retreated from the town.
The resentful spirits and evil ghosts that had already swarmed into Red Gate Town, surrounding it with their overwhelming presence, simultaneously dissipated, leaving only the torn lanterns scattered on the ground as evidence of their previous existence. It was as if the entire encounter had been an illusion.
No one knew how such powerful resentful spirits had appeared, nor did they understand how they had suddenly vanished...
Pairs of eyes stared blankly at the red lanterns in the temple, unable to express the doubts in their hearts. It was as if they were seeing the Red Lantern Lady for the first time.
"Could it be that her usual timidity was all an act?"
The Left Guardian, Shen Hongzhi, was filled with suspicion. "She shouldn't possess such abilities..."
Meanwhile, Hu Ma scratched his head, his jade step swing swaying back and forth, his eyes filled with doubt. "If she managed to withstand the first wave, that's one thing, but to withstand the second wave as well? This Red Lantern Lady's limits are truly high. Perhaps we should find an opportunity to test her in the future?"
Amidst the confused atmosphere, Hu Ma sighed softly, admiring Zhang Agu's quick-wittedness in his heart.
As the current master of the Pacifying Evil Office, he understood that aside from the few people he had hastily gathered, Zhang Agu was the only one who had accompanied him to witness the reopening of the Pacifying Evil Office and perform the ghost interrogation. She was the only one who truly qualified.
Looking out at the town, he felt more at ease. Despite being related, he couldn't help but feel that she was a bit clueless.
However, no matter how clueless she might be, having reached this point, she should have some understanding of the situation, right? He hoped she would assert herself, as the reopening of the Pacifying Evil Office couldn't be too low-key. If their abilities fell short, it would put him, the master of the Pacifying Evil Office, in a difficult position.
...Should I carry the Evil Suppressing Golden Vajra and introduce myself to people, claiming to be the new master of the Pacifying Evil Office?
...Who doesn't want to save face?
...
"Yes, sir!"
Outside the town, when the Heaven's Will General spoke with a relaxed expression and mentioned the Hundred Sons Cauldron, even the Truth Sect followers and several grandmasters by his side momentarily paled.
But after a long while, they still saluted the Heaven's Will General and immediately began their preparations.
The night grew deeper, as if the entire world had fallen into a deep, ominous dream. Only the red lanterns of Red Gate Town, three miles away, still emitted a faint red glow, but it was distant from the people.
In the thick darkness, countless individuals who were concerned about the situation in Mingzhou became utterly confused. They couldn't comprehend the repeated comings and goings of the Truth Sect, wondering what they were up to.
Living in Mingzhou, even those who had never interacted with the Red Lantern Lady had heard of her. How could she withstand the Truth Sect for so long? Some even suspected that the Truth Sect was deliberately prolonging their visits to exaggerate the Red Lantern Lady's capabilities and increase her reputation.
Amidst their anxious anticipation, they noticed that after the Heaven's Will General gave the order, the over a hundred followers behind him stepped forward. They took white cloths from their sleeves and tied them around their foreheads, resembling mourners.
In the center of the circle, there was an unfamiliar black cauldron, seemingly unwashed, with visible bloodstains on its surface. The mourners gathered around the cauldron, tears streaming down their faces.
Surprisingly, the green banners, which should have become ordinary objects, began to sway again. The banner bearers circled around them, slowly rotating, while chanting an incantation. Their appearance was eerie and unsettling.
Suddenly, one of the mourners by the black cauldron began to cry out:
"My child, as your father, I shouldn't be wearing mourning clothes for you. But seeing your tragic death, I couldn't care less about our relationship. I'm here to offer you a sacrifice..."
"..."
Following his lead, more cries joined in, each sounding heartfelt and genuine. The sorrow on their faces and the tears in their eyes seemed incredibly real.
As their wailing intensified, the first mourner who had started crying felt a surge of grief. His body went limp, and he collapsed by the cauldron, retching. From his mouth emerged a small, black, and bizarre ghost.
One after another, the others also began to vomit, expelling black shadows filled with malevolent energy into the cauldron. Wails of anguish echoed.
The cauldron instantly filled with surging malevolent energy. From a distance, people could only vaguely see black arms and hands reaching the rim of the cauldron, only to be pulled back down by something inside.
Whoosh...
The banners fluttered without any wind, and the temperature plummeted, as if winter had arrived.
Behind them, the citizens of Mingzhou Prefecture felt a chill throughout their bodies. Countless ancestral tablets in homes began to wobble and topple from the incense tables, trembling incessantly.
Outside the city, the Heaven's Will General stood by, his eyes cold and indifferent, with a hint of madness and ferocity lurking beneath. It was as if he was witnessing a scene from the past, one that had unfolded in Official Province, replaying before his eyes.
For several years, Official Province had been plagued by famine and chaos.
This year, the situation reached its peak, with a severe drought and famine, leaving the fields barren and the citizens in dire straits. The suffering had become so extreme that people resorted to cannibalism, and the Human Meat Market was once again bustling with activity.
The Truth Sect seized the opportunity and began preaching in Official Province, seeking to refine their dharma. Seeing the citizens' misery, an elder of the sect took a cauldron and admonished the congregation, "The people's suffering is heart-wrenching. If you truly wish to bring them blessings, how can you not empathize with their pain?"
"They are cooking and eating their children and women. How can you not do the same? If you cannot, how can you claim to understand the truth of the world and save it from chaos?"
"... "
And so, the elder took the lead, striking a large cauldron, solely for the displaced citizens who had lost even their cooking pots. They cooked and ate their children, and though it was called the Hundred Sons Cauldron, the number of children cooked far exceeded a hundred.
But that was not all. After lending the cauldron to countless citizens, the elder gathered the sect members and threw children into the cauldron, shouting that they would share the meal with the citizens to comprehend the truth.
Following his lead, the devoted sect members brought their own children, throwing them into the cauldron to cook a soup that they shared, and thus, they all obtained great blessings.
Now, the Heaven's Will General intended to use this method to reenact the Hundred Sons Cauldron, borrowing the dharma power within the cauldron to break through the numerous calamities set up by the demons of Mingzhou, saving the lives of the people in Official Province.
The onlookers, upon seeing the Truth Sect members gathered together, knew they were performing a ritual, but they were unsure of its nature. However, regardless of the distance, the surging malevolent energy was enough to strike fear into the hearts of everyone, causing some to cover their heads and even cover their ears to block out the cries of the children.
But even with their ears covered, the wails of the children still managed to penetrate.
Even from a distance of several tens of li, the cries of the children were still audible, as if they were right beside them, in their ears, or hanging around their necks, crying.
"He has indeed used such an evil artifact in Mingzhou..."
Not far away, someone in a sedan chair seemed to be unable to bear the malevolent energy and evilness emanating from the cauldron. They ordered the sedan bearers to move further away and then sighed softly, "The Ghost Walker Path has always hated this artifact. It's good that he's brought it out..."
"Now that he's used it, my cousin should finally show himself, right?"
"But..."
She turned to the maid beside her and instructed, "Deliver a message to the altar, informing my three uncles that this situation is beyond my control as a junior."
"Please ask them, along with that official, to come here and take charge of the situation!"
"... "
"... "
"What exactly is that?"
As the cries of countless infants and children filled the air, the people of Red Gate Town felt their scalp go numb.
The scene was incredibly eerie. They had already been perplexed by how Red Lantern Lady had escaped capture twice, and now the commotion was even more terrifying than the previous two occasions. It was as if countless crying dolls had suddenly appeared around the town.
In the unseen shadows, there were eerie movements everywhere, with strange shadows crawling back and forth, and pairs of eyes, hungry to the extreme, staring intently at every piece of flesh on their bodies.
The Left Guardian, Shen Hongzi, didn't even know what it was, but her instinctive fear instantly overwhelmed her. Her entire body trembled, and she jumped up, following her instincts to flee immediately.
In the temple, Red Lantern Lady's red light shone brightly, urging and shouting, only wanting the Left Guardian to not leave her behind.
'At worst, I'll take my life-saving lantern and leave. I don't need this temple anymore...'
'...'
However, none of them had expected that when they heard the cries, the little shopkeeper, who had come from Green Stone Town and had almost no presence, would sigh softly upon hearing the cries. He lifted his long robe and slowly stood up.
"I'm going..."
Er Guotou, who was nearby, glanced at him and said, "Little Shopkeeper, where are you going?"
"Of course, I'm going to help Red Lantern Lady!"
Hu Ma reached into the ox cart, took out the Ghost Head Saber that was still sheathed, and tucked it under his arm. Smiling, he said, "I said I'd come to help. It wouldn't be right to just watch the show all night, would it?"
"You..."
The Left Guardian finally reacted, looking at Hu Ma's calm demeanor with some confusion. 'Is this kid so naive?'
But before she could say anything, Hu Ma took the saber and turned to look at her. "Guardian, I saw you wearing a smiling mask earlier, and it looked quite nice. May I borrow it?"
The Left Guardian was startled by his demeanor and subconsciously asked, "It's in the room... What do you want to do?"
Hu Ma headed towards her room, smiling. "These people are bullying Mingzhou, thinking there are no rules here. They dare to use all sorts of demonic and evil arts."
(End of Chapter)
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