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Chapter 569: The Mansion God and the Red Lantern
Chapter 569: The Mansion God and the Red Lantern
The Red Lantern Lady, of course, was an Altar God, an undisputed fact known throughout Mingzhou.
But at this moment, as she flew into the air, the red light that enveloped the entire battlefield made everyone realize something was different.
The blood-like red light seemed infinite, suppressing the dark and evil auras emanating from the altar within Mingzhou City. Over a hundred lively and mischievous lanterns danced around the scarlet lantern, making the golden trace on it particularly eye-catching.
Ever since the Red Lantern Lady was forced to take in the lonely and resentful spirits from the hundred jars, this golden trace had appeared, but she herself didn't know its purpose and had no time to ponder it.
For several consecutive days, she hadn't had a moment's rest, constantly reciting the Curse Elimination Incantation to calm the mischievous spirits and lessen their fierce auras.
With the Right Defender absent, the Red Lantern Lady's temple was now filled with managers, devotees, and the hot-tempered Left Defender, all eager to accomplish great deeds with the Grain Protection Army. Naturally, no one noticed the Red Lantern Lady's transformation, let alone guide her.
They didn't know that this was merit.
Then, in the night wind, a nursery rhyme began to echo playfully.
The Red Lantern Lady's magical power inexplicably surged, and she didn't know why. These spirits, who liked to play around her, also didn't understand, but they happily recited the rhyme.
So, when subtle changes occurred, even the Red Lantern Lady didn't realize that her shrine had already reached such a distant and vast place.
In Greenstone Town, a Lantern Festival was held, influencing countless people. The custom of hanging scarlet lanterns spread far and wide, and through word of mouth, endless incense offerings were made day and night, until this moment when the blessings truly reached the Red Lantern.
At this moment, some people realized that the Red Lantern Lady had accumulated enough merit and incense offerings to surpass the level of a typical Altar God.
But she still lacked one thing.
Just as the Red Lantern Lady's magical power had been sufficient earlier, but to build a temple and receive incense offerings, she still needed Meng's incense decree.
Now that she wanted to take another step forward, she naturally needed someone's approval.
Hu Ma understood this, so he picked up a mace.
He turned his head slightly and saw Zhou Datong outside the courtyard, shouting, "Ouch, ouch, stop pulling, stop pulling..."
As the courtyard gate opened, Little Hongtang ran in, tugging on Zhou Datong's ear. Zhou Datong was smart and had broadened his horizons after seeing so many extraordinary people in Yang Gong's army.
He realized that his current abilities were insignificant compared to theirs and had sought out Hu Ma earlier, deciding to follow him and learn real skills.
Hu Ma agreed and had already planned what task to assign him.
"Take this!"
He handed over the Punishment Official Saber and the Smiling Mask borrowed from the Left Defender, saying, "Put it on!"
This task was just right for Zhou Datong.
The Punishment Official Saber was too fierce for ordinary people to control. Even the Seventh Aunt, who carried the saber, felt its fierce aura made her head dizzy. But Zhou Datong was an exception; he could hold it without any adverse effects, as long as he held it honestly.
After all, there was a predestined connection. The original form of the Punishment Official Saber was a saber passed down in his family.
"Huh?"
Zhou Datong was stunned when he saw it, "But, Hu Ma..."
"I have other matters to attend to..."
Hu Ma smiled and looked west, and the Evil Suppression Golden Mace in his hand had several iron rings that turned slightly, summoning a rolling dark wind.
In the distance, in the mountains of Gou State, two tall Golden Armor Warriors were seen carrying a heavy iron coffin, one on the left and the other on the right, slowly making their way over hills and mountains with heavy steps.
With Mingzhou as the altar, the magical power was inexhaustible, giving him a sense of ease in accomplishing his goals.
...
...
"Boom, boom, boom, boom..."
Outside Red Gate Town, on the battlefield, the fighting was fierce. As the scarlet lantern appeared, its magical power suppressed the war formation.
Within Mingzhou City, at the sacred altar, the clay statue of the Governor God was filled with intense anger. The overwhelming magical power seemed to surge out of the city, ready to crush the small Altar God, or even capture and swallow her whole.
But at that moment, as the Grain Protection Army marched forward, the sound of heavy war drums resonated.
Countless eyes turned towards the drummer, a maiden immortal in a Taoist robe, looking solemn as she beat the drums from behind the formation.
Then, with the drums, a strong wind blew from the Grain Protection Army's formation, and in the night, a figure wearing a Smiling Mask appeared, holding the Punishment Official Saber.
Next, a squeaking sound filled the air, and the grass rustled as countless spirits accompanied the Seventh Aunt.
In the next moment, Zhang Agu, with countless soul shadows trailing behind her, sat on a donkey's back, carrying a bundle on her back.
And at this very moment, the Red Lantern Lady, who was still dazed in mid-air, suddenly realized something was amiss.
The Executioner and Truth Speaker, along with the four great hall officials, had already appeared behind the Grain Protection Army, causing some people in the formation to sense something. They couldn't help but gulp, their eyes widening as they looked behind them.
"Is... is it really coming?"
"..."
Before this thought could even finish, they saw a figure moving in the deep darkness to the south of Red Gate Town.
They all gasped, and then, to their shock, they saw hundreds of shadow soldiers, their bodies shrouded in heavy, cold mist, marching with such weight that the ground beneath them seemed to be covered in a tangible, eerie fog.
These soul shadows, or rather, shadow soldiers, were so heavy that they seemed to be pushing the very boundaries of the living world.
Amidst this army of shadow soldiers, there were two golden armor warriors, each three zhang tall, standing on either side. They carried a coffin wrapped in iron chains, with the ends of the chains wrapped around their arms. On top of the coffin sat a person.
No one could make out his appearance, as the hundreds of altars in Mingzhou all had the ability to conceal one's features.
But at this level, no one doubted that he was hiding his face; it was simply that people of such status wouldn't easily reveal their true appearance.
Or perhaps, very few people had the privilege to see his true face. No one found his processional tent strange either. It was natural for a noble to have a processional tent, but his tent was this very army of shadow soldiers...
And the countless spirits and malevolent spirits that followed him in the shadows.
"Is that really him...?"
"The four hall officials leading the way, an iron coffin as a palanquin, golden armor warriors carrying the coffin, and a war drum for music..."
"With such a grand procession, it must be him!"
"..."
Countless hearts were pounding in their throats, and some even felt their knees go weak unconsciously. But the figure in the shadows didn't come directly to the formation; instead, he slowly appeared behind it and gently raised his hand.
In an instant, the two golden armor warriors on either side abruptly stopped, and the shadow soldiers following them halted as well.
However, as they stopped, the heavy, menacing mist around them seemed to dissipate, forming a gale that covered dozens of zhang.
Everyone instinctively raised their sleeves to cover their faces, not daring to look directly at him. Some even avoided looking at his body, except for the limpy goblin squatting on Yang Gong's buttocks in the formation. It braved the overwhelming might and raised its small hand, glancing at Hu Ma and whispering, "Greetings, Lord Hu."
"..."
No one could hear its soft voice, and they all just stared blankly in that direction. They saw the processional tent come to a stop, and then the person using the coffin as a palanquin nodded slightly towards the Red Lantern Lady in the air.
The next moment, a voice reverberated without form across the battlefield, slowly spreading out: "By the decree of the Pacifying Evil Office, the Red Lantern of Red Gate Town is permitted to enjoy a blood offering. By the order of Yin and Yang, the people's hearts shall be calmed."
The voice wasn't loud, but every word weighed heavily on everyone's hearts. In an instant, a surge of magical power filled the air, and the golden trace on the Red Lantern Lady's shrine instantly spread, covering the entire lantern.
At that moment, the scarlet lantern, originally a vivid red with a hint of the supernatural, transformed into a golden-patterned lantern, imbuing it with an air of sacredness amidst its supernatural aura.
Swish!
At the same time, within the formation, the blood-red lanterns that covered half the sky also glowed with golden light, mixing with the blood-red color and falling upon the Grain Protection Army. The originally cold and eerie wind suddenly became warm and heavy.
It was as if a fragrant breeze enveloped the entire army, invigorating their spirits.
On the other side of the formation, the hungry ghost army's ghostly aura was instantly dispersed.
Countless hungry ghosts, upon seeing the dots of light surrounding the red lantern, suddenly felt a sense of guilt.
Their hearts, long drowned in hunger and injustice, seemed to come alive at that moment. A long-forgotten sense of human guilt surged within them, and as they looked at the lively lantern, tears of sorrow welled up, and they wanted to kneel and cry.
The battlefield fell into a brief, strange silence.
Then, cheers and shouts suddenly erupted: "The Red Lantern Lady has come to bless us..."
"The Mansion God, the Red Lantern Lady, has come to bless us, the Grain Protection Army..."
"..."
Whoosh!
Their hearts were now free from fear of the hungry ghosts, and even their weapons seemed sharper. The Grain Protection Army surged forward.
(End of Chapter)
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