https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-560-The-Book-of-Spirits-and-Gods/12919057/
Chapter 559: The Altar's Exorcism
Chapter 559: The Altar's Exorcism
"Hmm?"
Upon hearing Miao Shan Xian Gong's unexpected words, Hu Ma seemed to take an interest, his gaze fixed on her face.
Miao Shan Xian Gong, clearly hesitant, as if fearing to offend Hu Ma, spoke softly, "Shi Shu, when we first arrived, we, your disciples, had already discussed this matter."
"We are all experienced and have seen many things. The situation in Mingzhou is excellent, even better than the place we've been preparing for all these years. It shows that with your first move, you are different from us foolish disciples."
"But in reality, Mingzhou has had bad luck. It has encountered the most troublesome problems in Official Province. There are frequent natural disasters, and the presence of demonic individuals from the Five Stars Path, causing the people to suffer. Bu Shi Niu has long been aware of this and has sent people to take advantage of the chaos to gain influence."
"However, in the end, they couldn't take control and had to retreat, only for the Truth Sect to take advantage of the situation. Why is this? It's not that our disciples lack the means, but Official Province is truly in a dire state. If we want to succeed there, we must use heaven-defying methods and commit acts that are devoid of conscience."
"Bu Shi Niu, under the guidance of wise teachers, would never resort to cannibalism or use humans as military provisions. Instead, we are restrained and returned in defeat."
"Now, the Hungry Ghost Army in Official Province has gained momentum..."
"..."
At this point, she shook her head and said softly, "It's not that Mingzhou is incapable of dealing with these hungry ghosts, but that all the states lack the ability to handle them."
Hu Ma was already aware of this, and after a moment's thought, he said, "Bu Shi Niu has countless capable individuals. Is there no good idea?"
"It's difficult."
Miao Shan Xian Gong seemed afraid that Hu Ma would blame her, and with a troubled face, she said, "The time is too short. Even if we have the means, we can't help the Grain Protection Army train in time. Secondly, this Hungry Ghost Army is a rare supernatural entity in the world."
"With their large numbers and hardened hearts, they carry their sins with them, neither human nor ghost."
"Earlier, Bu Shi Niu's disciples traveled the world, and we were aware of some ambitious individuals who were secretly preparing to contend for dominance. Among them were many powerful beings raised in secret."
"For example, the Fire Crow Army in Tengzhou, the Gourd Army in Wuzhou, the White Fish Army in Caohu, the Chain Army, and the Black Banner Army. They are all exceptionally formidable. But even they might not have the advantage against the Hungry Ghost Army, let alone the hastily assembled Grain Protection Army in Mingzhou..."
"If Mingzhou had a Governor Deity that had been worshipped for generations to suppress the eerie aura of the hungry ghosts, there might still be some hope..."
"But as we've seen, Mingzhou did invite a Governor Deity, but this Deity..."
"..."
She clearly smiled bitterly, leaving the rest unspoken, but Hu Ma understood. Although they had invited a Governor Deity, it was from the other side, effectively sealing Mingzhou's fate regarding its food supply.
"Don't worry about the city affairs; leave that to others."
After listening carefully to Miao Shan Xian Gong's words, Hu Ma said, "If we only consider dealing with these three thousand hungry ghosts, can't you rebels find a solution?"
"Are there three thousand hungry ghosts?"
Miao Shan Xian Gong listened, feeling slightly surprised. They had just discovered the presence of these hungry ghosts in Mingzhou, and as they were still appearing intermittently, they didn't know the exact number. Two months ago, when Bu Shi Niu's people were monitoring the situation, they estimated there were over ten thousand.
She admired the leader, who seemed to know the exact number without even leaving the house. After a moment's thought, she said, "If we were to fight, there might be a slim chance of victory, but Mingzhou would likely become a river of blood..."
"This is under the assumption that Bu Shi Niu doesn't assist. Otherwise, with such a small Grain Protection Army, they wouldn't even stand a chance. They would scatter at the first charge."
"..."
"We can't afford to have bloodshed in Mingzhou; the city can't withstand such turmoil."
Hu Ma slowly said, "To win without heavy casualties and quickly resolve this issue is the goal."
"Ah?"
Miao Shan Xian Gong was stunned, her face filled with distress. She didn't know how to convey this message to the waiting Bu Shi Niu disciples. They had eagerly awaited the leader's orders, hoping to showcase their abilities. But why did the leader present them with such a challenge from the start?
"I'm not trying to make things difficult for you."
Hu Ma looked at her and slowly said, "My requirement is to see if it's possible to suppress or even eliminate the ghostly aura from these three thousand hungry ghosts."
Miao Shan Xian Gong was struggling with this internally, but upon hearing these words, she suddenly became energized and exclaimed, "Of course! With the many talented individuals in Bu Shi Niu, what's there to fear?"
"Shi Shu, please don't underestimate us disciples. If we had more time or if those senior brothers currently handling important matters in distant places were here, perhaps we could come up with a solution..."
"..."
"Enough of that. Let's see your abilities in action."
Hu Ma interrupted her and said seriously, "Go and inform them. The sooner we prepare, the better, as Mingzhou's food supply is barely sufficient and cannot be wasted."
"Yes!"
Others might need to ask for clarification and assurance, but Miao Shan Xian Gong trusted Hu Ma implicitly. She immediately left the house with high spirits to discuss the matter with her fellow disciples. Before leaving, she suddenly reminded him, "My luggage is with you, Shi Shu. Please keep an eye on it..."
Hu Ma waved his hand helplessly. With the current situation, who had time to worry about luggage?
As he prepared to leave, Hu Ma paused and turned back to lock the courtyard gate. After all, with the current chaos and unrest, Dou Guan had mentioned that Miao Shan's dowry was extremely valuable...
He stepped out and entered the small An Shen Temple of Red Lantern Lady, a smile spreading across his face.
Inside, the left guardian Shen Hongzi, who had been waiting there all along, and Seventh Aunt, who had just woken up as night fell, were already there, along with Zhang Agu, who had been faithfully guarding the temple all day.
Surrounded by a group of fierce little ghosts, Red Lantern Lady was constantly reciting incantations to pacify them. If she recited too slowly, the ghosts would rush forward and give her a beating. At that moment, she was looking at them with a troubled expression.
"Everyone, I've already gone to the mountains and met with the Nobleman," Hu Ma said without ceremony, bowing to the group before taking a seat.
His words startled everyone present, as they had all secretly known their identities and that they were bestowed by the Nobleman from the mountains. But hearing it confirmed unexpectedly still made their hearts tense.
Zhang Agu, being the most sensible, understood the urgency of the situation. She quickly stood up and asked with concern, "What did the Nobleman from the mountains say?"
"The Nobleman only said to go ahead and do it. If anything happens, he will take full responsibility," Hu Ma replied.
"Huh?"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Agu, the left guardian eavesdropping outside, and the red lanterns in the temple all froze in surprise. They had been hoping for guidance from the Nobleman, but he only spoke of taking responsibility. What did he mean? Only Seventh Aunt, sitting in the corner, blinked her small eyes, unsure of the meaning, and continued dealing with the red sugar eggs.
"Since we're all family here, there's no need for formalities," Hu Ma said, addressing the group.
"As for breaking the altar in Mingzhou City, where a demon has turned the city into a ritual site and summoned an evil entity to guard it, let's discuss how we should handle this situation," Hu Ma continued, looking at the others.
His question left everyone bewildered. They exchanged glances, but only Zhang Agu spoke up honestly, "Little Shopkeeper, I don't like to boast, but in my twenty years of being a ghost summoner, I've never seen an altar as grand as this one."
"According to the rules, when raising an altar, one must consider feng shui, terrain, personal cultivation, abilities, and the entities invited to the altar. And in this case, they..."
"They have all the advantages."
"..."
As she spoke, she glanced at Hu Ma.
Hu Ma understood what she was trying to say—only the Pacifying Evil Office could suppress such an altar.
And by setting up the altar in Mingzhou City, they were waiting for the Pacifying Evil Office to appear.
"The Nobleman from the mountains will take action, and he has already given me instructions. But to break this city's scheme, we still need to rely on our own abilities..."
As Hu Ma spoke slowly, Zhang Agu's heart trembled. Did the Nobleman want them to rely on their own strength to break the city's altar? Was this even possible? Before she could finish her thought, Hu Ma suddenly turned to her and asked, "A'Gu, how many ghost summoners are there in Mingzhou?"
"Ah..."
Zhang Agu was startled by the question.
If you were to count ghost summoners, there would be some in every village and household, and even in places without ghost summoners, there would be a few. It was impossible to know the exact number.
However, the issue was that most of these ghost summoners were village elders or shamanesses, and even their abilities were mostly self-taught. Whether they could be considered true practitioners was still debatable.
Even someone as renowned as Zhang Agu felt out of place in this town. If others were summoned, how could they possibly compete?
"That's enough," Hu Ma said, observing Zhang Agu's expression. He didn't wait for her answer but nodded as if he already knew the answer. Then, he turned to Seventh Aunt, who was about to bite into a chicken's neck, and smiled, "And how many spirits and demons are there in Mingzhou?"
Seventh Aunt was taken aback and quickly wiped her mouth, "Definitely more than in my home."
"That's enough," Hu Ma laughed, standing up and bowing respectfully to them. He gazed in the direction of Mingzhou City and sighed, "To break this altar, the method is simple, isn't it?"
"Their altar is grand, so we'll build an even grander one."
"They invited a formidable entity, so we'll invite an even more powerful one."
"Their methods are sinister..."
He paused, his eyes turning cold, "Do you think we honest folks have no means?"
"In the end, they're just distant relatives of the Hu Clan from Qingyuan. Although they still have some powerful items, they've long lost their status. Now that we've severed ties, they've lost even the last shred of dignity."
"With the four great officials of the Pacifying Evil Office here, how can we not defeat a few outsiders who borrowed the fate of the city's people to set up an evil altar?"
"..."
As he spoke, he lightly tapped the table and stood up, "There's no time to waste. Tonight, we'll raise our altar, slay the governor deity, subdue the hungry ghosts, and restore peace to Mingzhou!"
(End of Chapter)
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