https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-560-The-Book-of-Spirits-and-Gods/12919057/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-562-Burning-and-Killing-the-Hungry-Ghosts/12919059/
Chapter 561: Pointing Rooster Technique
Chapter 561: Pointing Rooster Technique
"Is that what the Jiao Zhu said?"
Inside Zhu Meng Town, the Four Great Officials were busy setting up the altar, with three of them working while one stood by, feeling lost. Meanwhile, outside in the military camp, the ox horn bugle sounded.
As they didn't have the qualifications to meet the Jiao Zhu directly, they didn't understand her true intentions. However, upon receiving the message from Xian Gong Miao Shan, the strategist with the iron tongue, quickly devised a plan and escorted Yang Gong to the front lines.
Troops were summoned and lined up in formation, displaying their strength and vigor.
Looking towards the other side, about three miles away, a group of hungry ghosts had already gathered before Mingzhou City. In just one night, they had amassed three to four thousand people, creating an intimidating sight that made one's heart tremble.
However, compared to Yang Gong's side, they seemed slightly inferior, as if a single charge could disperse them.
"Which brother will go and charge at them?"
Yang Gong also knew that these hungry ghosts were not ordinary. He couldn't rush in recklessly, nor could he sit idly while the enemy's numbers grew. He pointed with his horsewhip and shouted at the nearby leaders, causing many to become excited.
"I'll go..."
"Let me go..."
Many people volunteered to fight, eager to showcase their skills.
Many noticed that the gathering in front of Mingzhou City was even less impressive than the Truth Sect's troops when they left the mountain. There were barely any horses in sight, and the weapons in their hands were in poor condition. The disorganized crowd seemed ready to crumble at the slightest charge, and they felt their opportunity had arrived.
Some boldly rode out of the formation, calling out to Yang Gong, "I won't hold back! I'll teach them a lesson first!"
As they spoke, they patted their horses and brandished the long spears in their hands, charging towards the enemy.
Some recognized this person as a trusted manager under Madam Sun, the leader of the Red Rice Ridge Branch Store. Although Madam Sun followed the Soul Punishment Sect, this manager practiced the New Year Guardian Sect's path and had already cultivated his limbs. He was highly regarded within the store.
Originally, he used a pair of short knives, but now, in the midst of battle, he had switched to a long spear for convenience in combat. He charged on horseback towards the group of hungry ghosts with great momentum.
Initially, the hungry ghosts ignored his provocation, but as he approached, one of them stepped forward from the outer edge of the crowd.
The hungry ghosts had no leaders or organization. They were simply grouped together, with the strong and ferocious ones guarding the outside, which could be interpreted as protecting the weak within or keeping an eye on the supplies to prevent them from escaping.
This person held a black bone in his hand and fought on foot. He showed no proper technique, simply swinging the bone down towards the manager's head.
The manager scoffed and used his long spear to parry and strike, and after a few exchanges, he knocked the black bone from the man's hand. He then chuckled, leaned over, and grabbed the man, placing him across the horse as he prepared to ride back to the formation.
As he grabbed the man, he had already employed the New Year Guardian's Soul Binding Hand. His left palm emitted a deathly energy that would corrode the opponent's body if it touched any part of them, forcing them to submit.
Having captured the enemy general, he had shown off significantly and was about to return to claim credit.
However, before he could react, Madam Sun, who was in the formation, noticed something amiss and shouted, "Be careful!"
The manager on horseback was momentarily startled, but as he lowered his head, he saw the hungry ghost, who was supposed to be restrained by him, suddenly turn over and lunge towards him. The hungry ghost opened its sinister mouth and bit down on his neck, causing blood to spray out.
He was both shocked and panicked, not understanding why his skill wasn't working. He shouted and struggled with the hungry ghost as they both fell from their horses.
Seeing the critical situation, Madam Sun was both shocked and furious. She immediately led her men to rescue him, but as they approached, a group of soldiers emerged from the formation, and dozens of hungry ghosts, who had been squatting on the ground without making a sound, suddenly charged out.
They leaped towards Madam Sun's soldiers, pouncing on them. The first few soldiers were knocked down with their horses, and the sound of flesh being torn and bitten filled the air.
"Quickly, save them!"
Seeing the situation turn against them, dozens of people on their side were now in crisis. Someone from Yang Gong's formation shouted.
Zhou Datong and Zhou Liang both rode out simultaneously, but they were smart enough not to charge directly into the formation. Instead, they reined in their horses from a distance, each holding a Golden Silver Baby under their arms. With a mighty squeeze, two streams of golden and silver aura intertwined and shot towards the enemy.
In the past, this technique had always been effective.
However, when they sprayed the aura onto the enemy, they found that the hungry ghosts were completely unaffected. They continued to pounce and bite, and more and more people charged out from the formation. Not only did they trap Madam Sun's group within the formation, but they also seemed to be preparing to charge towards their own formation.
The two didn't know what was happening, but their hearts were filled with terror. However, they didn't expect that the hungry ghost army was driven mad by hunger, and no one cared about gold or silver.
Their eyes were only on food and flesh, so they were unaffected by the golden and silver aura.
"Retreat!"
Just as things were getting critical, someone suddenly rushed forward between the two. It was none other than the bald manager from Kouzi Mountain. He passed by Zhou Datong and Zhou Liang, facing the hungry ghosts. He raised his hands and pressed them against his ribs, then let out a loud shout.
The sound was like thunder, like a toad's croak, and the Yang energy suddenly erupted, suppressing the surrounding chaos.
The group of strange beings, neither human nor ghost, was momentarily stunned, and Madam Sun and the others seized the opportunity to scramble back.
Turning back, they saw that their side had already lost seven or eight lives and three to five horses. The manager who had previously gone into battle had his body half-eaten, and even with his New Year Guardian abilities, it was evident he wouldn't survive.
Not only was Madam Sun terrified, her face turning deathly pale, but Yang Gong's troops, upon witnessing such a significant loss in an instant, were left speechless.
They strained to look ahead, wondering about the origins of these beggars, who seemed so supernaturally formidable.
"Let's temporarily retreat."
Yang Gong, witnessing this scene, also had a sudden change in expression. He glanced at the strategist, Iron Tongue, who slowly waved his hand and whispered, "Let's discuss this in the tent first."
Everyone saw this, and no one responded, their faces already showing signs of unease.
In the opposing formation, the person who had just bitten to death Madam Sun's manager slowly walked back into the crowd. Suddenly, someone threw a pig's head at him, which was still raw and unskinned. He caught it and began to gnaw on it.
The surrounding hungry ghosts, seeing this, drooled incessantly, their eyes filled with greed as they looked at Yang Gong's Grain Protection Army.
...
...
"Senior Brothers, has anyone noticed the key point?"
The strategist, Iron Tongue, directly entered Yang Gong's tent, surrounded by seven or eight unusual people from the wandering world.
With a grave expression, he looked around, and everyone present had solemn faces. After a moment of thought, someone whispered, "I think these hungry ghosts carry the spirits of countless wrongfully dead beings. Each of them is innately a Cursed Spirit."
"The advantage is that they have weak vitality, so we don't need to worry about being overwhelmed by numbers. They won't break our formation easily."
"But the disadvantage is... when facing these hungry ghosts, if we don't use advanced techniques, relying solely on our standard methods, we'll suffer a significant loss!"
"The abilities of Cursed Spirits are formidable in direct confrontation, and the Soul Punishment Sect's skills are almost entirely suppressed. Even the most valiant New Year Guardians' abilities are halved, and they can only rely on Yang Energy to shake them..."
"..."
Everyone listening nodded in agreement, understanding the difficulty in dealing with these hungry ghosts.
When it came to discussing how to handle them, everyone had different ideas. Some suggested training a child soldier army, which could be more effective than recruiting from various blood food mines.
Others proposed using a food preservation method, as these ghosts never feel full. If they had enough food mixed with Bodhimanda Earth, they could potentially be stuffed to death...
However, none of these methods were immediately feasible, which frustrated the strategist, Iron Tongue, who scolded, "You're all just swindlers, and now that we're in a real situation, you can't come up with a useful solution?"
"The town's guardian is watching us. If we can't handle three thousand hungry ghosts, it's not embarrassing, but if we can't win a decent battle even before their troops are fully assembled, how can we hold our heads up?"
"..."
The strategist's scolding left the others feeling ashamed and speechless, unsure how to respond.
Just then, someone spoke up, "Why don't I give it a try?"
The others turned to look, their brows furrowing.
Bu Shi Niu, who wandered the wandering world, kept his actions secret. Some maintained a dignified appearance at all times, while others lived rough lives, uncaring about their appearance, looking dirty and disheveled. But the speaker was the least presentable of them all.
His tattered clothes were covered in grass ash and stalks, making him look even more beggarly than a beggar. Even the monkey on his shoulder was infested with lice, and when it had nothing better to do, it would squat and pick lice from its own body to eat.
Fortunately, the leader of the Gold Character Guild hadn't seen him, or he might have been the first member of Bu Shi Niu's group to be expelled for his appearance.
But now, this disheveled man stepped forward thoughtfully and asked, "Who can borrow a chicken for me?"
Soon, someone went to Red Gate Town and borrowed a majestic rooster from Seventh Aunt. The beggar took the rooster, pierced its neck with a silver needle, causing the rooster's feathers to stand on end as it frantically fled, pecking at anyone in sight, its eyes turning gray.
The onlookers felt a chill, and everyone moved away. They realized that after being pricked with the needle, the rooster resembled the hungry ghosts.
Just then, as the rooster went completely berserk, the beggar took a quick step forward, pressing it down. He didn't tie it with a grass rope but instead drew a vertical line in front of its beak with his finger.
After drawing the line, he slowly released the rooster and took two steps back. Everyone curiously leaned in to watch, only to see the previously agitated and ferocious rooster, with just a vertical line drawn in front of its beak, suddenly become immobile.
Amidst the eerie silence, the beggar heaved a sigh of relief, clapped, and laughed, "Not bad, not bad. Grain Protection General, I'll deliver your first victory against the hungry ghosts..."
(End of Chapter)
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