Twilight's Threshold Chapter 574: The Pacifying Evil Office Opens - Novel Cool

Chapter 574: The Pacifying Evil Office Opens

Chapter 574: The Pacifying Evil Office Opens

High above, the dark stone pillars stood tall, and in the courtyard, a giant drum was positioned, with four fire pits surrounding it.

On a raised platform, to the left were dusty scrolls, and to the right was a jar of command arrows.

In front of the hall, two rows of golden armor warriors stood, with a row of dark and ominous guillotines on the left and a full rack of heavy and sinister shackles on the right.

As the sinister Yin wind blew, Hu Ma's shadow, already enigmatic in the eyes of the onlookers, became even more hazy and indistinct, as if it were about to disappear altogether.

The next moment, when everyone looked again, they could only see his shadow appearing in the grand hall, holding a mace and walking towards the incense table, slowly sitting down. At that very moment, the giant drum within the mansion was struck by a golden armor warrior's hammer, and a surge of ominous energy instantly filled the air.

A fierce and violent Yin wind blew, reaching the plaque hanging in front of the grand hall.

It seemed as if a thick layer of dust was being gently peeled away by the wind, revealing the clear characters on the plaque. The words carried a profound weight, as if they were deeply engraved in one's bones, making one feel as if they were being seen, yet also as if they were merely being reminded.

"Pacifying Evil Office!"

"..."

It's here! Ever since the four hall officials appeared, accompanied by the mysterious noble from the direction of Old Yin Mountain, ordering the golden armor warriors to carry the coffin, and mysteriously appearing behind the battle formation, countless hearts had been trembling.

And now, as the shadow of the grand hall appeared on the battlefield, countless ghosts and spirits in the field felt an immense pressure overwhelming them.

In an instant, their divine souls trembled, their knees weakened, and their minds grew hazy, as if they wanted to kneel.

It wasn't that someone in the Pacifying Evil Office was forcing them to kneel; it was the overwhelming sense of officialdom and the aura of punishment that enveloped their hearts.

Those who had committed misdeeds felt their hearts racing, as if their heads had already left their necks. Those who hadn't done anything wrong...

...were rare!

So their knees genuinely refused to obey, insisting on kneeling.

However, just as they truly listened to their hearts and knelt down in unison, a voice from within the Pacifying Evil Office, where it was difficult to discern reality from illusion, suddenly boomed out, reverberating through everyone's minds:

"Do not kneel!"

"..."

The voice, emanating from the Pacifying Evil Office, carried an undeniable authority, even in its normal tone:

"The innocent need not kneel nor be punished, but the guilty, even if they kneel, shall not be spared!"

"..."

The voice echoed and spread, instantly reaching countless soldiers and strange beings in the field, causing their already weakened knees to straighten involuntarily.

Their minds hadn't yet comprehended why, after so long, the Pacifying Evil Office had appeared, and they were merely trying to show respect by bowing, but now they were being forbidden to kneel. Their bodies instinctively obeyed, refusing to kneel.

Among them, there were also many disciples of the Bu Shi Niu sect who, upon hearing these words, were startled:

"Oh my..."

"Could it be that this young master Hu is truly one of our own?"

"..."

"..."

As they stood in awe, not knowing how to react, the shadow of the Pacifying Evil Office, shrouded in mystery, walked straight into the mansion, sat before the incense table, and spoke only two sentences. The first was a prohibition against kneeling, and the second was to take an arrow from the jar on the incense table without even looking, and throw it down towards the hall.

Everything was just a hazy illusion, a mere shadow, yet this shadow could oppress countless soldiers, making them unable to raise their heads.

But it was also an illusion, and yet the sound of the arrow hitting the ground could be clearly heard.

At that very moment, among the four hall officials standing behind the army formation, Zhang Agu was also watching the shadow of the Pacifying Evil Office with a mixture of excitement and reverence.

Compared to the shock felt by others at this moment, her excitement was even greater because she had already witnessed the Pacifying Evil Office once before. On that occasion, the Five Malevolent Deities that had tormented her for so long were punished, and their statues were beheaded.

But Zhang Agu never considered that a privilege.

The Pacifying Evil Office, absent for twenty years, had reappeared solely for her sake, which, in her eyes, was not a fortunate event.

She only hoped that the Pacifying Evil Office would open, not just for her but for the people, for all those in the world who had suffered injustice.

And because of this expectation in her heart, having lived a simple life among the common folk, when she received the token that fell from the Pacifying Evil Office, she placed it on her own incense table.

She was well aware of the heavy ominous energy emanating from the token, so much so that even her chickens stopped laying eggs, but she knew that the opening of the Pacifying Evil Office required someone to take on the responsibility.

The same was true at this moment; seeing the Pacifying Evil Office truly open before the crowd and witnessing the manager, that noble figure, genuinely entering the Pacifying Evil Office and sitting behind the offering table, she felt not only awe but also a surge of excitement as her expectations were fulfilled.

As Hu Ma threw down the token, at that very moment, the token in Zhang Agu's hand also trembled.

In the mystic realm, there were spirits and ghosts, and one of them leaned towards her ear, whispering what she should say, what she should do, and what responsibilities she should shoulder. And so, she strove to steady her trembling legs and slowly walked forward.

Forcing herself to suppress the fear in her heart, she struggled to use the official language instead of her local dialect, "Governor God, without an order, you have trespassed. You will be taken to the Pacifying Evil Office for questioning!"

After all, for her, this formal speech was a challenge, so her voice was not loud.

But under the intimidating aura of the Pacifying Evil Office, a formidable aura surged, and these words carried an unquestionable authority. Many in the crowd trembled in fear upon hearing this statement, wondering, "Is the first thing the Pacifying Evil Office does to take down a governor god?"

Currently, the Governor God had not yet been defeated!

Invited to Mingzhou, their divine might was awe-inspiring, but they were initially subdued by the Ghost Slayer Saber of Mingzhou, suppressing their magical power on the altar.

Then, they were further restrained by the mysterious and formidable Shadow General, unable to use their magical power.

However, the altar in Mingzhou still stood, and the Governor God was still intact. This was no ordinary wandering ghost; how could they be captured with just a word?

Even if you changed the word to 'invite', wouldn't it sound a little better?

But there was no time for further thought. As Hu Ma's command token was thrown down, a rolling dark wind rose within the Pacifying Evil Office, and the two rows of silent Golden Armor Warriors standing inside the office suddenly emitted strands of golden light.

Then, with heavy footsteps, they stepped out of the office, side by side, and marched straight through the oppressive battlefield, heading directly towards Mingzhou City.

With a loud "clang," the southern gate of Mingzhou City opened wide.

The Pacifying Evil Office always took people through the main entrance.

Even though these two Golden Armor Warriors seemed to effortlessly leap over the city walls, that was not the proper way.

They had to enter through the main gate to maintain propriety.

"Huff!"

Just as the two Golden Armor Warriors entered the city, a loud rustling sound echoed, and the thick incense smoke that filled the city suddenly dispersed. The oppressive and chilly atmosphere that had enveloped the citizens of Mingzhou for several days instantly vanished.

Simultaneously, the six guardian objects located in various parts of Mingzhou City shattered and cracked, falling to the ground without any strength. Even the plaque of the Mingzhou Prefecture fell.

Immediately after, the incense table at the city's heart, where the three sacrificial animals and six domesticated animals were offered, was toppled by a gust of wind.

The command tokens inserted beside it became tattered strips of cloth.

Standing before the altar, Uncle Hu, the shrine guardian, let out a loud cry and jumped up, but before he could land, he was as if struck by a powerful force, falling to the ground with a thud. His face turned pale, and he spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.

Even his pupils seemed to lose focus, and he cried out unconsciously, "You can't..."

"You can't..."

"..."

But no one paid him any heed. In that moment, the citizens of Mingzhou, whether asleep or awake, heard the muffled thunder of footsteps.

Through the haze, they seemed to see two towering three-zhang-tall Golden Armor Warriors standing side by side, reaching out their hands amidst the dark wind that gathered the surging malevolent aura. They extended their golden giant hands towards an object within the building.

There, the Governor God's clay statue stood.

"How dare you?"

Facing the dark wind and evil aura blowing in from outside the city, the two other clan uncles of the Hu family, standing on the tall building, couldn't see the Golden Armor Warriors.

It wasn't because of their low cultivation but because they were too familiar with the Pacifying Evil Office and knew they shouldn't see the Golden Armor Warriors. If they did, it would mean their divine souls had been subdued, and they wouldn't dare to resist.

So, in their eyes, they only saw a gust of wind blowing into the building, carrying the sound of clanging chains and shackles.

Their hearts trembled, but they gritted their teeth and jumped up. One of them quickly grabbed a red cloth and covered the Governor God's clay statue, while the other stepped forward, holding high a document bearing the imperial seal.

He shouted, "This is a god bestowed by the former emperor, enjoying the incense offerings and blessings of the realm. Who dares to touch him?"

Gritting their teeth, they were determined to resist. The Governor God was different from the Five Malevolent Deities. Although their magical power might be comparable, the Five Malevolent Deities were the Hu family's guardian spirits. If the Hu family wanted to expel or kill them, they could.

But the Governor God's identity was different. No matter how powerful the Pacifying Evil Office was, they couldn't ignore the emperor's appointment and directly capture the Governor God.

The man had somehow evaded the oppressive aura of the Heaven's Mandate General, and they hadn't figured out how. But now, they were openly obstructing him.

As they shouted, the figure on the altar in the Pacifying Evil Office suddenly laughed coldly, "What's so special about an imperial decree?"

"You've exhausted your minds to devise such a vicious plan against me, but unfortunately, you were wrong from the start..."

"Today, I'll make you understand what the Pacifying Evil Office truly is..."

"..."

As he spoke, he suddenly stood tall, holding the Pacifying Malevolent Spirits Golden Mace high.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end

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